Right One In
by itjustrayned
Summary: When your mind says one thing and your heart says another, which do you choose? Caroline needs to find the answer before it's too late. In the battle between shadows and light, this may be the only thing that can save her. Guess the real question is - will she let the right one in?
1. Did you miss me?

**Chapter 1: Did you miss me?**

_This was real fear. She could hear the footsteps not too far back and it could only mean one thing- he was coming for her. But this time she had no back-up plan, no team, and no weapons to her advantage. Right now all she could do was run. Speed was her only ally._

_She jumped over fallen logs and brushed through the foliage as fast as she possibly could. She had no idea where she was headed, all she could think about was putting distance between them—just enough to buy some time to figure out what to do and the best way to get out. She was running out of time, and her leg injury was already weighing her down enough._

_In the distance she spotted a huge oak tree, her best option at the moment—and she made her way towards it. As soon as she leaned against its bark, she took a deep breath, leaned over and tied her headband around her injured leg to stop the bleeding. _

_She was more than afraid._

_But before she could even think of running again, in barrels the wolf through the trees, catching her off guard and knocking her off her feet. She was now lying face up on the ground, the weight of the wolf holding her down. She tried to fight it off, used all the strength she had in her to push it aside—but to no avail. He was just too strong—too powerful—too original. _

_With fangs bared, eyes full of rage, it was more than ready to take out its prey. And she could no longer contain her scream._

"_NIKLAUS!"_

Caroline bolt out of bed gasping for air and found herself not in a forest of any kind, but in the Salvatore living room. She looked from left to right, and to her relief not even the window or the door was open. _It was only a nightmare Caroline, none of it was real._

It was too hard to believe though. As she closed her eyes for a second, she took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure. This was probably the hundredth time she dreamed about him, but every time she did he seemed to get closer and closer to killing her.

No chance for falling back to sleep now. She kicked back the blanket that covered her and headed over to her vanity, that which was placed on one side of the room. She sat down, grabbed a brush and pulled her hair into a ponytail.

The hybrid is dead. Klaus Mikaelson is gone. But how come she couldn't wrap her head around the truth? How come he kept haunting her dreams like he was still alive? Is it that difficult to accept? When he passed, there was a side of her that felt almost relieved—that they didn't need to keep watching their backs all the time and that they'd get the chance for the first time in a long time to live an almost normal life. She did not die with him- he was not her maker, nor that of the Salvatore brothers.

But there was also that other part, her soft spot for the hybrid that kept nagging her. The part that was saddened and hurt by the lost-devastated almost. Even heartbroken? Oh what was she thinking—even in her dreams he was trying to kill her. This was just too much hatred mistaken for care. That must be it.

"_But I can show you the world. Small town boy, small town life—it won't be enough for you."_ It was as if he was standing right in front of her—his velvet accent, husky voice convincing her that everything was okay. Although it obviously wasn't.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror, trying to eliminate such nonsense from her mind, and found a picture of her and Tyler stuck on one side. She grabbed it off her mirror and took a closer look at it. _He wasn't just a small town boy, Klaus_, she could hear herself mentally arguing. Her heart began to feel heavy again. Just like the hybrid, Tyler was gone, dead without a trace. The sadness and a sense of loss again overwhelmed her.

She didn't even notice that Elena was already standing right behind her. "Caroline I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

Caroline stood and hugged her best friend. "Why am I alive and he isn't?" she asked, not exactly sure herself who she was referring to.

Elena tightened her hold. "I know Caroline. Believe me, if we had a choice we would all want to change what happened that night, at least parts of it, but we can't. All we can do is just live with it."

Caroline sighed. Her best friend was right. Everything that happened was borderline crazy and unexpected. Elena was now a vampire, which made Stefan die a thousand deaths. They lost Alaric who had killed Klaus before he passed. Tyler and Bonnie have been missing for weeks now, presumed dead. The rest of the original family had already left Mystic Falls, while those that remain all lived under one roof- the Salvatore Mansion.

Caroline's thoughts were interrupted when she heard sobbing, and felt a dampness on her shoulder. Elena was crying, and she had every right to. If Caroline thought her problems were big, here was innocent Elena, now vampire Elena caught between two brothers and confused what to do next. She had experienced this before when Katherine had turned her unexpectedly, but things were different now and she needed to help her friend.

Caroline let go of Elena and looked her in the eye. "Shhh, it's going to be okay. Everything is going to fine, I promise. We just need to find Bonnie so that she can make you a daylight ring, and of course Tyler so that we have an extra pair of hands around here and then we can all go back to the way things were- and you can have—Stefan."

While she was saying this, like perfect timing, he walked into the room. It has definitely been an interesting few weeks for everyone but living with the Salvatores definitely made her feel a lot safer, and cushioned all the hurt. Even with the Elena triangle situation, things were never awkward. Stefan couldn't hide his guilt and although every second he tried to make amends and make sure that Elena was okay he also checked up on Caroline, which of course made the latter support him all the more.

"She will always have me as long as she wants." Stefan said, handing Elena a cup of blood to drink. Caroline felt a tad bit jealous. She missed having someone take care of her as well. She watched as Elena's face transformed into her vampire look, but in a matter of seconds changed back when Stefan soothed her. "Elena, darling, breathe- shh you're fine." She quickly gulped down the cup and smiled at Caroline.

Suddenly there was a knock on the front door. Stefan was about to head over and open it but Caroline didn't want to ruin their moment. She insisted she'd go instead, especially right now when the two were getting all lovey dovey and she was all alone. She heads out of the room and towards the foyer to the front door, where she bumps into Damon.

"Does it bother you too?" He asks, sulking. "It'll always be Stefan. Dammit."

He took a swig of his drink before walking past her and heading to the library instead.

"For the record Damon you know it isn't a game. And right now she is vulnerable. She is slowly remembering everything—even the times you compelled her and that will obviously confuse her. So instead of acting like a brat, why don't you be there for her? With everything that's happened you have to live in the now, and I say the right thing to do is show her how much you care."

Damon clapped his hands, smiled before heading out of the room like he didn't hear a thing.

How frustrating.

A second knock on the door reminded her of what she had to do in the first place. She opened it, but before she could even look up to see who it was, she was knocked over by someone's dead weight. She pushed the body aside and when she finally was able to catch a glimpse of who it was, she shuffled backward, with one hand covering her scream. It was Tyler, and he was passed out bloody. Next to him laid the body of Bonnie, passed out and pretty banged up as well.

She then heard a cough from behind, and when she looked up to see who it was, she got an even bigger shock of her life.

"Hello sweetheart. It's the full moon. Did you miss me?"

Oh my god.


	2. Between What's Real & Make Believe

**Chapter 2 – Between What's Real and Make Believe**

She couldn't believe her eyes.

Standing right in front of her was Klaus Mikaelson—the supposedly dead, burnt to ashes original vampire. But he didn't seem burnt, nor was he dead. In face he seemed more alive now than ever before—stronger, more powerful and a hell of a lot angrier than she remembered.

Caroline instinctively scooted over to Tyler and tried to wake him up. "Tyler, wake up! Baby can you hear me?"

But there was no response.

"Sweetheart, I don't think this pup will be waking up anytime soon. He had to be punished for breaking the sire bond, and also for trying to kill me," a husky velvet voice explained from behind.

Caroline froze.

He knew. He knew everything and he was going to kill everyone she loved, even herself, for what they done. They didn't kill him. That much was true. But they wanted to. He knew their intention. They should have known that he would come back – the fact that they didn't die with him, and that the original spell didn't seem to work—they should have known better. But how did he do it? Caroline stole a glance at Bonnie as she tried to put the pieces together. Bonnie must have helped him somehow—to save all of them. Oh this was a mess, had Bonnie broken the original spell?

Caroline didn't even think twice. She stood and walked over to Klaus, standing mere inches from him. As she looked into his eyes she could see his pain, his hurt, but most of all his anger—which would eventually kill her it seemed, but she was not afraid. "What have you done?" she asked, her voice coming out louder than she expected. She bit her lip, holding back her tears. Caroline thought he was going to kill her, right then and there, in the middle of the Salvatore foyer. She didn't have it in her to kill him.

But Klaus had other ideas. He was surprised by her confidence and fearlessness. Before he could say anything cocky in response, Damon Salvatore was standing right behind her. "Ah, Damon, here to save the non-so damsel in distress. How, ex-ci-ting" he said, making sure to enunciate every word.

In a matter of seconds, Damon pushes Klaus against the wall, holding him by the neck. But Klaus was just too strong. He breaks free from Damon's hold and throws him across the room. "Is that all you've got mate?"

That seemed to snap Caroline out of her thoughts.

Klaus seemed to notice this as well. "I seem to be outnumbered here. I think we've got to even up the odds." As he says this, three newborn hybrid wolves walk into the house. It was full moon after all, and they have turned, all looking equally ready to attack. Klaus must be stronger than ever to be able to prevent his wolf side from coming out.

The smallest one, most probably a girl, lounged for Caroline and she instinctively fought back. The wolf jumped on top of her, pinning her to the ground and Caroline screamed. She grabbed it by the tail and threw her across the room, where Damon and the other hybrid wolf were fighting.

"I wonder where the other Salvatore is—probably with the lovely Elena. Now those two definitely deserve to die. They both betrayed me. Especially Elena, how stupid can she get, thinking she could turn, hide from me and NOT be burnt to ashes?" Klaus exclaims, laughing haughtily.

Suddenly Stefan appears, tears out the heart of the young wolf standing next to Klaus before pushing the original with his free hand against the wall, holding the heart for him to see. "Do you see this Klaus? I should have done this when I had the chance. I should have killed you."

Stefan dropped the bloody heart and punches Klaus in the face. "And don't you dare call Elena stupid."

Blood trickled down the side of Klaus mouth, but he still seemed unfazed and unafraid. "Ohh the ripper is angry". It was then that Stefan throws another punch at him, this time in the gut, and Klaus topples over. Stefan leans over to pull him up and throw him across the room but instead Klaus gets a hold of him, grabs a stake from his pocket and shoves it barely inches from Stefan's heart.

"You were like a brother to me. And since you didn't kill me, let me return the favor."

Stefan crumbles to the floor and Damon, who sees this in the corner of his eye, rips the heart out of the hybrid he is fighting off and makes his way towards his brother. He grabs Klaus' arm from behind and pulls hard, almost tearing it off. He sends Klaus flying across the floor into the living room with a single fluid motion.

Caroline, on the other hand, was struggling to do the same with hers. The hybrid wolf she was fighting seemed too strong, too fast, even though she was only a newborn. The hybrid had managed to cut Caroline's ankle with its paws, weakening her. Maybe it was also because of Tyler. She was worried about him and of Bonnie and the rest of her friends—and this weight was bringing her down. She couldn't help it.

She stole a quick glance in Tyler's direction, just to make sure he was okay, but was taken aback when she saw Klaus with bared teeth, now in his wolf form, mere inches away. Tyler was helpless. Even though he had somehow transformed into his wolf form, he still wasn't moving.

And just like that, a surge of strength filled her body. She punched the wolf in the head, stunning her, and she fell to the ground. Caroline ripped her heart out and as fast as she could, she made her way to stand between Tyler and the original hybrid. In her fury she hadn't noticed that his teeth had already pierced her skin, her arm—and blood was already trickling down, soaking her jacket.

For a second there it was like the world had stopped and both Caroline and Klaus didn't know how to react. He slowly recoils, staring at Caroline with eyes full of a mixture of anguish and anger. He may have been in his wolf form, but by his stance alone anyone could see that he was backing off. But not for Caroline-she did not believe him, would never trust him, and hated him more than anything else.

"Nooooo" she screamed, grabbing Klaus by his fur, pushing him away from her and once again, Klaus was sent across the room.

Caroline looked at Tyler then, and seeing that there was neither a scratch nor a bite mark on him, she was relieved. But the battle wasn't over. She turned around, expecting Klaus to attack, but instead she was face to face with Damon, who was already holding him by the neck on the floor near Stefan, who was trying to recover from being staked.

"Are you alright? Run Caroline. I've got it covered."

Neither Damon nor Stefan noticed the bite mark. It was better this way. They didn't need her to weigh them down. They should kill him, and not find any reason to keep him alive. The spell must have been broken because even though Damon had his hand around Klaus, choking him, she didn't feel a thing.

She retracted her vampire stance, took a deep breath. "Thank you." She took Tyler into her arms. He wasn't as heavy as she expected, and in a matter of seconds she was out the door and running through the forest, leaving the Salvatore boys with Klaus.

She could only hope that she would make it in time—enough to protect Tyler, enough to see Klaus pay for all that he has done, but most importantly, enough to say goodbye to the people that she loved.

It seemed like she had been running for hours, even though it had only been a few minutes. She didn't know exactly where she was headed, but she knew she had to run. She needed to run away from it all—seeing Klaus alive again, putting her friends in danger, the bite mark, holding Tyler in her arms—it was just too much.

Tears were streaming down her face as she tried to go on. The pain in her leg was excruciating and her whole body seemed to be on fire from the bite mark. But she wouldn't stop. No, she wouldn't put Tyler in danger again. Tyler was alive and she had to protect him.

But Caroline was too lost in thought to notice a mole hole in the ground. She tripped, letting go of him in the process. She was now rolling through foliage, until finally she hit a fallen log that stopped her. She brushed herself off and realized now that her head was bleeding. The cut wasn't deep, but it made her dizzy. It didn't seem important though.

She had to get out of here. She dragged herself up and made her way to Tyler, who was still passed out. She took him in her arms and looked for some place to hide. A big oak tree –now that looked familiar—but it was her only choice.

As she leaned against the bark, she gently put Tyler on the ground and sighed. She was getting weaker and weaker by the minute, and her leg was still bleeding. If she didn't do something now, she wouldn't make it out alive. And nor would Tyler.

She wouldn't let that happen.

She ripped a piece of her shirt and tied it around her bleeding leg. She then checked her arm, rolling up her sleeve to find that the bite mark was getting bigger and more infected. She knew there wasn't much she could do about that, but at least she knew how much time she had left. Her head was throbbing, probably from the cut, the infection, and the loss of blood—but she needed to be strong and power through.

It was then that her cell phone rang. She took it out of her pocket and answered immediately.

"Hello?"

"Caroline, where are you?"

"Stefan, I"

"Caroline, tell me where you are so that I can get you and make sure that you are safe." He insisted.

Caroline bit her lip to keep her tears from falling. Stefan didn't need to save her. She was beyond saving now. "I'm fine. Is Elena okay?" she asked.

"Elena's fine. There was another hybrid. It tried to attack her while we were dealing with Klaus but Bonnie was able to kill it. She had woken up just in time to save Elena."

Hearing the name Klaus sent shivers down her spine.

"And Klaus?" she whispered, a part of her not wanting to hear about his demise.

"He escaped. We got distracted when we heard Elena scream—"

Caroline wasn't able to hear the rest of it. Klaus was still alive. He was still out there. She didn't know if she was relieved or afraid.

"Caroline, are you there?"

"Stefan, take care of Elena and Bonnie okay—" she began, choking back her tears.

"Caroline, what are you talking about? I will make sure all of you are safe. If anything were to happen—"

"Just promise me." she demanded.

"I promise. Now can you please tell me where you are? Or better yet – head to your house. Your mom isn't home and it's probably the safest place for you and Tyler right now. Besides, half the council is looking out for vampires that Klaus wouldn't even think of attacking. I'll be there as soon as I can while Damon can hold down the fort."

"Okay" Caroline agreed. Stefan wouldn't suspect she was bitten. She'd make sure of it.

"Is Tyler awake?"

Caroline paused to check. "Barely."

"Best to get him to safety. You both. Please be careful Caroline. He's still in wolf form. As much as he loves you, he can hurt you."

_No he can't, _she thought, but said instead: "I will Stefan. Don't worry about me."

She put her phone back in her pocket and surveyed the area. It was still dark, the full moon barely providing her with sufficient light. But she knew she wasn't far from her house, a few miles and she'd be home.

She was about to take Tyler into her arms when she heard a rustle coming from the bushes. Now she knew why everything looked so familiar. It was déjà vu. She knew what was supposed to happen next. This was it. Klaus was coming for her and she barely had enough energy to fight back. She would protect Tyler with her life, but could only pray that she'd have the vitality and strength. She stood in front of him, her vampire side fully awakened and waited for the enemy to burst through the trees.

But there was nothing. It was only the wind, and after a few minutes Caroline realized she was mistaken. Her head was heavy and her leg burned with pain, both serving as a reminder that Klaus had already killed her. It was then that she lifted Tyler into her arms and ran as fast as she could, out of the forest, of the nightmare, and of death's creeping door.

The neighborhood was quiet. As Caroline stepped onto her porch, she realized just how much she had missed being home—her father and her mother—everything about her normal life. But, no, she wouldn't have that any longer, nor would she live another day to say goodbye. The funny thing about immortality, she thought, is how easy it was taken away.

With a spare key she always kept in her pocket, she opened the front door and gently laid Tyler on the living room floor. She grabbed the shackles from under the rug and chained his paws. He had installed them once before just for safety.

She then brushed his fur, nuzzling him, a wave of relief washing over her. She couldn't hold back her tears. Deep down, she always knew in her heart he was out there and that he had never left her. But to be able to hold him in her arms, to see his face & Bonnie's—she finally felt like she could breathe again.

It's true. Her friends were her life now, her family.

Then it hit her. Before he went missing, before they had separated that night, a promise was made that they'd run away together. They would fight and find their way back to each other, and then leave Mystic Falls for good. Circumstances have changed, and now they both had to stay—but what bothered Caroline was not the messed up plan—but the fact that she could no longer make plans.

She was good as dead by morning. She rolled up her sleeve to check the bite and discovered that the infection had already spread. Her whole body was burning up, and pretty soon the hallucinations would start. She knew the drill. If only she could hold on for a little longer, at least to see his face – and say goodbye.

Caroline wouldn't change anything that had happened though. Tyler was family, and even if she knew it would entail losing her life in the process, she wouldn't care. He would have done the same for her.

She wiped her tears from her eyes and cradled his head in her hands.

"Hey Tyler, please wake up. I don't know what he did to you, or how all of you managed to stay alive, but I'm the one running out of time now, and I just—I need you to hear what I have to say next."

She saw his paw move—at least she thought she did-and it was good enough a sign for her.

"I know you can hear me baby and I- I just wanted to tell you that you're free now. When you wake up, I probably won't be here anymore, but it's not because I don't care about you or because I want to leave you—, "she managed to get out, choking back a sob before she continued.

"It's because it's no longer safe for me. And the only way for me to protect you is if I leave" she lied. It was better this way. "Please send my love to all our friends especially to my mom, and if you can manage to, stay—they need you, and they all love you as much as I do."

Caroline kissed his head and held him close for a few seconds. She wished she had more time, but she knew she didn't. "Goodbye baby." She slowly stood and walked away from him, which was one of the hardest things she ever had to do.

It was then that the hallucinations began. It wasn't supposed to happen this fast, at least not for another few hours, but it must be a combination of all her injuries that set it off. She could see her father calling out to her from the top of the stairs and she knew the end was near.

"Caroline," he said, reaching out a hand to her.

She bit her lip to stop the tears from falling and closed her eyes as she turned away from him and tried to focus on what was real. The seemingly strong-minded and witty Caroline Forbes had cracked and she wasn't as powerful as she thought she was. She needed to get out of there and fast before she managed to hurt anyone.

"Caroline, everything is going to be okay," a familiar voice whispered into her ear.

She opened her eyes and turned to find Alaric Saltzman standing right behind her. She wanted to hug him so bad. After all that they've been through, he was like a father to her—and she needed his advice right now. But no Caroline, she thought, don't, the more you give in, the more your dreams can take control of you.

"Caroline what makes you think that you can leave me? Who gave you the permission to run away without me?"

She turned once more to see Tyler, in his human form, standing right in front of her with open arms, leaning against the front door. She ran towards him and was instantly engulfed by his warmth—his love as she embraced him.

"I thought. I thought I would never get the chance to see you again. I didn't want—I care—" she whispered, not being able to finish any of her sentences.

He silenced her with a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, while he trailed his across her spine, sending shivers. He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, and her neck. But just before she was going to give in, she saw in the corner of her eye, Tyler's true wolf form, still in the living room, chained. This all wasn't real. She wanted a goodbye, yet it was only just a hallucination.

She pushed him back against the door and covered her face with her hands.

"Leave me alone!"

She was going crazy. Every single part of her body was burning. Her mind was slowly falling apart, and her heart – it was already too broken to mend.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door that snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked up to find that human Tyler had already disappeared. It was Stefan—he promised to come over and check if she was okay. She had to put on a brave face and could only hope that he would not see through her.

Caroline wiped her tears with the back of her hand, brushed back the hair that had fallen out of her ponytail and tried to regain her composure. Her hands were shaking. The burning sensation was getting worse. She didn't know how long she could stay in control. And yet as another knock came from her front door, she put her hand on the knob and slowly turned.

"Caroline." a husky voice said calmly, a voice too familiar to forget.

And that was when everything went black.


	3. A Promise

**Chapter 3: A Promise**

"Sweetheart, open your eyes. Caroline, can you hear me? Caroline?"

She woke up to find Klaus standing in her doorway, fighting with himself to go in or not. You could tell by the strain in his voice and the crease in his forehead that he was genuinely worried about her. He must have been really strong though, because the full moon was only starting its descent and yet he was already in his human form. Barely dressed—a ripped t-shirt and some jeans hugging his hips in the right places, Caroline was already distracted. This couldn't be real.

Caroline found him beautiful.

"Niklaus?" she said, her voice barely a whisper.

"Let me in love. Please. Your hallucinations are getting worse and that can't be good-for either of us."

"Says the hallucination himself. Oh wait, first you took my boyfriend away from me. Then suddenly you come back from the dead. You're seriously not speaking to me right now, are you?" She retorted, her expression dazed and angry.

Caroline struggles to get to her feet but when she does, instead of walking towards him, she walks away. "You know you can come in if you want, you've been here before. And yeah, don't ghosts or hallucinations or whatever you call it appear wherever they want?"

She even managed to laugh.

"And oh, I just remembered- since you're a ghost – I can tell you this to your face. You can no longer kill me. Well, not that it mattered anymore. Because guess what, I'm dying and it's your fault. Klaus Mikaelson finally gets the happily ever after he's always wanted," she explained, turning to face him so they were finally eye to eye.

She was rambling and for good reason – his presence made her upset.

Klaus growled. "Caroline, come here. Now," he demanded, thinking that it would at least get her attention.

She shook her head in response. "I don't like being told what to do."

Caroline couldn't believe she was actually having a conversation with a ghost—and Klaus of all people! He had infiltrated her dreams countless times that a part of her wondered why she even cared about him this much given the current situation of things. She understood why her father appeared, and Alaric and Tyler – but Klaus- why couldn't he just leave her alone?

She needed him out – out of her doorway, out of her dreams, and out of her life. She didn't want him to be the last person she'd ever see. Caroline walked over with the intention of hitting him, sending him out the doorway with a single punch but instead, when she got there, she collapsed into his arms. All the anger, the sadness, the loss, the burning sensation in her body – it was all too much. She had collapsed moments ago, and here she was doing it all over again. Her condition must be far worse than she thought. The hallucinations were getting more intense. They seemed more real than ever.

Caroline expected to fall to the ground and end up sprawled on the floor, but instead, she was wrapped in the arms of someone strong – someone powerful. He cradled her in his arms like lovers do, close enough for her to see the faint stubble along his jaw and to smell the scent of him, wolf-smell, and blood, and dirt—and man.

He wasn't just a dream. Klaus really was standing in front of her, more alive than ever in his human form. Twice today she didn't believe he existed. How naïve could she get?

"Klaus, I" she began, but couldn't seem to find the right words.

"Shhhh. Caroline let me in."

It must have been the way he said it, the tone of his voice or how he was holding her in his arms. She could feel her heart beat faster than it ever had—and it confused her. At the same time, in spite of the odds, she found herself trusting him. Deep down she knew in her heart that this man—the man who was holding her, he wasn't the same Klaus who tried to kill her.

She nodded, barely.

He carried her in his arms, into her bedroom and lay her down on the bed.

"Klaus, is it really you?" she asked, wondering once more if this was all just a dream.

He sat down on the edge of her bed, facing her. He brushed back the hair that fell in her eyes, cradled her face and couldn't help but smile. "Who else would it be?"

"But, you –" she began, and her voice felt like it was scraping out of her throat. Didn't Alaric kill Klaus? How was he still here? How did he come back to you life?

"Shhhhhhhh." He brought a finger to her lips, silencing her. "Caroline, first of all, you have no idea what happened between Bonnie, Tyler and I. Second, I had no intention of biting you. It was a mistake, and I'm here to make amends."

He stood up, walking over to her dresser while she sat up.

"But you wanted to kill Tyler, and Damon, and Stefan and Elena, people I care about—people I love. I bet you kidnapped Tyler and Bonnie just so you could stay alive. Selfish bastard, I don't care how you explain it – you're evil and you care about no one. Killing my friends is just as good as killing me and you know it"

He turned to face her. "I wouldn't have let it go that far."

Caroline put her hands together and looked to the heavens. This man was a complete liar and she was actually buying it. What had gotten into her?

"Who are you trying to kid Klaus? I can see right through—"

Before she could finish her sentence he was right in front of her, his forehead touching hers, the proximity of which making her blush. "Me? Are you sure about that?"

She couldn't speak.

He once again ran his palm through her hair, cradled her face, and she didn't know why, but she wanted him to kiss her. She could feel the anticipation in her bones, the warmth bubbling up inside – was it the poison or her heart – she couldn't quite figure it out anymore. She was going to die anyway.

"Niklaus," she whispered, wondering why she was using his complete name yet again. It sounded more like a plea then a question.

She didn't expect what happened next. Klaus didn't seem to feel the same way. He drew back and let go of her abruptly, saying firmly – "You don't know me."

She froze. She closed her eyes as if the words hurt. What was she thinking? He was the enemy.

Klaus grabbed her arm, snapping Caroline out of her thoughts, and rolled up her sleeve to survey the damage. He then bit his own wrist, and lifted it to her lips. "Remember this? Now drink Caroline."

Her lips parted and her face began to transform into its vampire form. But she pushed his hand away. "No."

She didn't know why she was angry at him but she refused to let him do this to her again. Save her, taunt her—this was not the life she wanted for any of them. It had to end now. "You wanted to kill us so let me make it easier for you. I let you in, so you let me die. Leave – Now." Her voice was shakier then she wanted it to be, but at least she made her point.

She was not afraid of him.

Klaus growled. He put his wrist to her lips once again, this time more forcefully. "Drink" he demanded, his voice low, throaty. He then tried to compel her, looking her straight in the eye, but she knew better. Before he could say anything else, she pushed him away, and he almost fell off the bed.

He was angry now. Wasn't he trying to save her? Why would she refuse such a generous offer? But he should have figured it out sooner. This was Caroline – and she would do whatever she wanted as long as she thought it would be the best thing for everyone. "Don't be stupid Caroline."

She still fought back. He grabbed her arms, held them above her head and before he could even think twice about it—he came on top of her, pinning her to the bed. She stiffened, and seemed to lose all resistance. Their faces were mere inches away from each other and she could already feel his breath against her lips. Their position was so intimate but for some reason, both of them didn't want to move. It was crazy – too wrong on all levels, but neither of them seemed to care.

He held his weight up with his arm while the other let go of her hands. He didn't want to crush her. She did not push him away. Klaus then made the mistake of looking into her eyes. He saw all the anger, the pain, the hurt and her innocence, which shook him to the core. This wasn't how things were supposed to be.

But how were they supposed to be? He thought. He was the one who brought on the fight. He was the one who started all of this. Without him, Caroline wouldn't be hurt. A part of him felt a tinge of guilt, but he was mostly confused—why did he even care at all? This was a different Klaus, not the person he's been half his life. These were foreign feelings, feelings he had shut out centuries ago—and should be shut out again.

Klaus wouldn't be weak.

He turned away, lifting himself off of her. When he finally composed himself into an upright position, he reached out his bleeding wrist to her and softly whispered. "Please Caroline, drink. I won't bother you, or Tyler, Bonnie, Matt or Elena, or even the damned Salvatore brothers if that's what you want me to do. I'll leave town and you will never hear from me again. You let me in today and you won't have to anymore for the rest of your life—"

He paused before finishing his sentence. "Not unless you want to," he said, looking straight into her eyes.

Caroline took his wrist with her hand, drew circles in his palm and without even thinking, kissed it. He shuddered. She didn't know why she did it. She was drawn to his heat, his own light; although he'd probably argue otherwise—Klaus would insist he had no light at all. Besides, his response to her was so strange—so foreign. It reached into the very depths of his blackened soul.

"Caroline."

"I trust you. Niklaus Mikaelson is a man of his word." She finally gave in.

Caroline took his wrist to her lips and sucked. He wrapped his arm around her, and in a matter of seconds, she was lying against his chest. He was sitting with his back against the headboard, and her proximity to him was the closest anyone has ever been in a long time. He sighed.

The burning sensation was slowly disappearing, but the throbbing in her head worsened. Caroline's eyes felt heavy, but before she lost herself to the darkness, she whispered, "Thank you. Again." She then closed her eyes and the last thing she heard was his heart, hammering in his chest.

"No love, thank you," he whispered.

As Caroline drifted off to sleep, Klaus stood, making sure she was left in a comfortable position. He walked over to her dresser, grabbing a pen and looking for a piece of paper to write on. He wanted to leave her a letter.

He opened one of her drawers but instead of finding some paper, he found the picture of Caroline and the horse, one he drew months ago after his mother's ball, tucked under some magazines. It humbled him. All this time, after all that he had done, she still kept his sketch.

He couldn't contain his smile, although at the same time, he was really angry with himself.

How confusing. Caroline had admittedly played him for a fool – but now he questioned how much of it was actually pretend and how much of it (and he couldn't believe he was even thinking about this) was real.

No, he wouldn't do this to himself. That part of him died a long time ago, and he wasn't going to be weak—not now, not ever. He slowly tucked the picture back in its place, returned her pen and thought better of it—he wouldn't leave her a letter when she deserved so much more than that. He made a promise he intended to see kept.

He took one last look at Caroline, and saw that she was smiling in her sleep. She was beautiful and Klaus couldn't help but be drawn into her light. He walked over to her, gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Goodbye Caroline"

And just like that, Klaus was gone.


	4. If I Never See Your Face Again

**Chapter 4 – If I Never See Your Face Again**

A loud _bang_ from the other room woke Caroline up from her sleep.

She felt like she had been in bed for days. The pain in her head was gone, but there was some ache still left in her joints. She stretched up, raising her arms above her head. She must have been really exhausted.

She was still in the clothes she wore yesterday and only then did she remember everything that went down. She rolled up the sleeve of her bloodstained shirt, to find not even a scratch or mark. Klaus Mikaelson had once again saved her life.

She leaned back against the pillow and closed her eyes. _Please don't be real. Please don't be real_, she chanted to herself, but as she opened them once again, she still found herself in her bedroom and in the same set of clothes.

Klaus had saved her life again. Caroline couldn't understand why. She seemed to be more confused these days than ever before. It was that original hybrid, she knew, that turned her world upside down. One minute she'd be fine, the next minute, she'd be running. In such a short amount of time so much has happened that it's been quite difficult for her to wrap her head around everything. Klaus Mikaelson has made a big mess, that's for sure.

And Tyler—

Oh my—the thought of the _other _hybrid, still shackled to their living room floor made Caroline quickly kick back the covers and get out of bed. Her mother must be home. She didn't know that both Caroline and Tyler were there—especially Tyler, who was supposed to be missing.

She ran to the living room to find the shackles open and no sign of Tyler, nor her mother. "Tyler?" she screamed, but no one answered.

Caroline was never a panicky person but now she was starting to get really worried. She checked most of the rooms in her house – the kitchen, the living room, even her mother's master bedroom– but found nothing. There was no sign of Tyler or the sheriff.

It must have been her nerves that distracted her though, because she didn't hear the sounds coming from the shower as she opened her bathroom door. Tyler was standing right in front of her, in all his glory, fresh from a quick shower and just about to get dressed.

"Hi" He managed to say, laughing.

She smiled weakly, barely getting her words out. She went to him almost immediately, without any care in the world that he was completely naked, and gave him a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist holding her close, and as she laid her head on his shoulder, the familiar scent of his cologne and wolf and man all mixed together reminded her of how much she had missed him "You're alive."

Tears were streaming down Caroline's face now. She was glad to be alive and glad that he was alive. Everything should be falling back into place. Forget Klaus. Forget his mess. This was where she had to be – where she should be.

Tyler tightened his hold on her. He kissed the back of her head before letting go. He then raised his hands, slowly and deliberately wiping the tears away with his thumbs, and cradled her face in the process. As Caroline looked into his hazel eyes she could see not only that he was full of pain, but also equally full of longing. "God I missed seeing this face. Did you miss me?"

She felt her heart flutter.

"What do you think?"

There was more longing than pain, more love than loss at that very moment. He kissed her forehead, her cheek, to the corner of her mouth, before meeting her lips with his. Tyler growled low in his throat. It had been much too long. The feel of her, the softness of her lips, the curl of her hair, the way she fit perfectly in every way-it made his heart hammer in its chest and stole his breath. Her arms automatically slipped around the back of his neck, and she melted against him, making him want even more. He instinctively lifted Caroline off the ground and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He positioned them with Caroline's back against the bathroom wall, lost in a passionate haze.

Tyler wanted to take her then, claim her, possess her- remind her of how much he loved her and how much he always will. A part of him knew that Caroline was still in doubt of how she felt about him, but if he could only show her, cradle her, kiss her – she would change her mind and he knew it.

But Caroline couldn't shake off Klaus from her mind even if she tried. Here she was, pinned against the wall, about to make love to a man she thought was dead, a man she promised to run away with, a man she knew she loved but she was thinking about Klaus – the man who tried to kill them both.

Tyler kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheek, the special place in her ear that tickled and made her want him even more, before nuzzling her neck. He knew everything about her, everything she loved and didn't. Caroline knew he would protect her with his life, what more could she ask for in a man? He was safe and she was safe with him.

She realized just how much he wanted her, feeling him against her so intimately, and knew she didn't want to do this here—and not when she was so unsure. They were kissing and she broke away first, drawing them apart. She pushed him back a little, and understanding her intention, he let her go. She backed away from him blushing.

Caroline smacked him.

Tyler was taken aback, although he still seemed to be drunk from their kisses. The desire died just as quickly as it came "Ow, Caroline, what was that for?" he asked, rubbing his arm where a purplish bruise was starting to form

Caroline was a lot stronger then she realized. He expected to see her angry or hurt, but instead, Caroline was smiling. "That was for making me worry—and for a lot of other things. Who gave you permission to leave me?"

He smiled, forgetting that she even hit him and that she had broken their passionate haze. "I'm guessing you did miss me. So why don't we get back to – hmmm 'a lot of other things'?" He moved towards her but she backed away, grabbing a towel and covering the sight of him.

"You're so full of yourself Mr. Lockwood—" she began, blushing at the comment. "There will be a lot of time for that—don't tell me that's the only thing you missed. Get dressed. You've got some explaining to do." She shut the bathroom door in his face and then leaned against it, her face all red with embarrassment.

She could hear him swear under his breath, and step into the shower once again. Caroline couldn't help but laugh. She was definitely glad that Tyler was alive, but just as much as she cared about him, there was that nagging part of her that wanted to know about the other hybrid and if he was still in town.

Minutes later Tyler emerged from the bathroom while Caroline was busy fixing them both some breakfast. He strode into the kitchen, dressed in a plain shirt and a pair of jeans. He looked hot, just like he normally would to Caroline. "Mmmmm smells good in here. I've always loved having breakfast for dinner."

Caroline was too distracted by her thoughts to realize that it was actually night time. How could she have missed that?

"How long was I asleep?" she asked.

"The truth?" he asked, taking a seat on one of the kitchen counter stools. "Two days. I didn't know if I should wake you up, but then you seemed to be really tired, and in spite of the fact that vampires don't really need any sleep, I didn't want to wake Sleeping Beauty."

"But you did wake me up – you made so much noise in the shower."

Tyler couldn't contain himself. He laughed. "Hmmmm but you enjoyed it didn't you? Finding me?" he asked.

She made her way to him; put a plate of eggs, bacon and pancakes on the table before smacking him once more.

"Hey what was that for?"

She shook her head. Boys, boys boys—sometimes they didn't always say the right things. "That was for you being you. Besides, you should have woken me up—if anything happened, you know I wouldn't want to miss it."

Tyler took a forkful of pancakes and held it up to Caroline. "Eat baby, you must be starving. I'll go grab you a blood packet, and then I'll tell you everything."

Caroline didn't realize how hungry she was until he said it. He stood, grabbed a fresh packet of blood from the fridge and handed it to Caroline before taking a bite from his plate of food. She finished off the packet in a matter of seconds, and disposed of it immediately.

"Better?" he asked, taking another forkful of bacon and pancakes.

"Yes – you know me all too well, it's kind of creepy. Do you enjoy my breakfast making skills?"

He smiled. "Definitely. I could get used to this – domestication and all. You in your silk pajamas making me breakfast. You could be my wife."

She didn't know if he was serious about what he said, but she couldn't seem to move. To be with Tyler forever—she had never thought about that. He stood and made his way towards her, enveloping her in his arms. "I'm not asking you today Caroline, don't worry about it. I know we have forever, but after what happened, I just wanted you to know about how serious I am, and how important you are to me. That's all. No pressure."

He let go of her, and she forced a smile. "Okay."

"Did something happen while I was out?" she asked, changing the topic.

"That's the thing Caroline," he began, tucking her hair behind her ear "Nothing happened. I don't hear Klaus' thoughts anymore. Even though I broke our sire bond long ago, I used to be able to hear him, and what he wanted me to do, but now—there's nothing—it's quiet. Plus, no one has seen him – it's like he's dropped from the face of the earth."

She went silent. _Klaus, gone forever?_ She didn't know what to feel about this.

"Hmmm. You seem to love hitting me, even when I've been gone for so long. Can I have another kiss instead?"

She couldn't deny an almost dead man's request. She stared up to him and for a quick second she saw Klaus. It didn't scare her. She closed her eyes as she leaned towards him. Her lips finally meeting his, and when she opened her eyes once again, it was Tyler.

It couldn't be the blood in her system. Why was she once again thinking of Klaus when she was with Tyler? This was really messed up.

"Is something wrong Caroline?" Tyler asked; a concerned expression plastered on his face.

She shook her head. "It's nothing. I just—I'm glad that you're all alive and safe. You know I missed you-You and Bonnie both." She traced her thumb across his cheek and cradled his face.

Tyler smiled. He let go of her and she sat down on the kitchen counter in front of him. "And speaking of Bonnie. You've got some serious explaining to do."

He returned to where he was seated earlier, finished off his plate of breakfast before looking Caroline in the eye, concentrating on what he had to say next. "Oh yeah—about that- I can only remember bits and pieces of what happened. I'll try my best to explain it to you but you should ask Bonnie for the details. Basically when I woke up after turning that night, Klaus had possessed me. He didn't die the night Alaric burned him. Bonnie cast a spell on both of us to keep Klaus alive."

"But why would she?" Caroline interrupted.

Tyler took her hand in his to silence her. "Let me finish. She wanted to keep all of us alive. Bonnie saved everyone when she saved Klaus, Caroline. It's funny because he was actually the one who asked her to do it – like he knew he was going to die, and he needed a safety net. When he dies, all of us die, and as much as he hates us, he loves his life more."

Caroline sighed. "So Bonnie and her witch powers saved the original hybrid, saved us, and now he has returned to his body, which is not burnt to ashes, mind you – and he could kill us once again? Is that it?"

Tyler squeezed her hand. "You're so impatient baby. You still didn't let me finish. About Klaus body, another spell was put on it to make it look like it burned, but it didn't. As soon as Damon left the building that night and Klaus had already possessed me, he took his remains. After a few days, Bonnie was able to find a way to put him back in his body. She didn't want to at first, but Klaus had somehow gotten a hold of Abby and Bonnie couldn't risk it."

Caroline cringed at the thought of Klaus' blackmail, but Tyler didn't seem to notice and continued his story.

"That's when we ended up at the Salvatore Mansion. As soon as he was back to being Klaus Mickaelson in every way, he took out Bonnie with a single punch and since I was really weak, he took me out as well. It was a full moon that night. I remember him saying he wanted to get even for all that we have done. And then I blacked out."

Caroline remembered this- seeing both Tyler and Bonnie passed out on the mansion floor. She was now angry with Klaus once again.

"The next thing I knew, I was waking up shackled to your living room floor, in my human form, with Stefan Salvatore handing me a pair of jeans. He explained what had happened and how you managed to get me out. He was swearing mostly, saying that it was the most dangerous and careless thing you've ever done, but at the same time, he said it's because you care so much that you wouldn't have it any other way. He couldn't have done anything about it even if he tried."

"Well Stefan's right about that. He couldn't have stopped me. I needed to get you safe, just like Stefan needs to keep Elena safe and Damon to Stefan-just how we all need to keep each other alive. You would have done the same thing for me or for anyone you cared about." she explained confidently.

That almost brought him to tears. "I didn't know when or how I turned, but if I had hurt you Caroline, I swear I wouldn't know how to forgive myself. It was a good thing you didn't have a single scratch on you. Stefan said you hurt your leg, but it healed instantly. You just looked dead beat and so we let you sleep"

Caroline bit her lip. Tyler and Stefan didn't know about Klaus' bite. It was better this way. She didn't need to give them another reason to fight and risk their lives, to hunt him down and leave Bonnie, Elena and herself unarmed. She would keep her mouth shut—that was the best plan. It had to end today – all her thoughts on the hybrid, her confusion – it was just because he had saved her life, nothing more. She would stop this madness.

Tyler pulled her down to him and she ended up sitting on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, holding her close as she leaned her head against his shoulder. This was where she was meant to be—where she would be safe.

"So what did I miss?" he asked softly.

"Nothing, " Caroline began, forcing her thoughts on Klaus and anything about that night out of her mind, "I just helped with Elena and made sure that the Salvatore Brothers wouldn't kill each other over her."

Tyler ran his free hand across her shoulder, warming her. "Well I'm pretty sure we can't stop Damon and Stefan fighting each other, but they only do so because they want to keep her safe. If and when she chooses, I think or at least I hope the two will respect it. If not, they'll have you and me to answer to!"

She couldn't help but smile to herself. Things were going to get back to normal if she would let it.

"Well at least this time around, Klaus is gone – for good. Rebekah told us just as much before she skipped town. He's mad at her for what she had done to Elena and he decided to look for some other way to create his hybrids. I'm the only one in Mystic Falls."

Caroline smirked, sitting up, looking at him straight-faced. "And a proud one you are."

"Caroline, you don't seem all too excited that Klaus is gone. Every time I mention him, you seem on the edge. Is there something you want to tell me? He's lied to us, tried to kill us a number of times—do I need to make you a list? He may have a thing for you but it's a sham—you of all people should know what he's capable of – and it's not trust." Tyler said; his tone angrier than usual.

She wrapped his arms around his neck instinctively, trying to comfort him and also settle down her nerves. He was right. Klaus might have saved her, but he's killed her more times. She said she'd stop thinking about him and she would. "It's just hard for me to believe, that's all. He wasn't really gone the first time after all—and well—we tried to kill him—"

Tyler cut her off. "He's GONE. What don't you understand? Believe me." Tyler said firmly.

She decided that she'd have to address this topic from a different angle. "Okay, I get it. You don't have to be all mad at me—I'm just telling you how I feel and what I've been through. It's not that easy for me especially since I almost lost you and Bonnie the first time. I'm just scared."

Her words definitely calmed his nerves. Tyler relaxed and pulled her close to him until their foreheads were touching. He gave her a soft gentle kiss on the lips. "I'm here now Caroline. I will protect you. There's nothing to be afraid of. Forget Klaus. I promise you he's gone. He's never setting foot in Mystic Falls again. You will never have to see his face."

Caroline pulled him in for a hug, tears springing in her eyes. She didn't want him to see her face – tearstained and confused. Only one thing she knew was for sure – his last words made her heart drop.


	5. If They Only Knew

**Chapter 5 – If They Only Knew**

And so the days went on without any word from Klaus Mickaelson – or any of the original family for that matter. They had skipped town before the Salvatores could even think of revenge. Last they heard was when Tyler had come to the mansion with apologies from Rebekah. She had told him that they were all leaving and that not even she knew what Klaus was up to but it would be far away from Mystic Falls.

Somehow, a weight seemed to be lifted off everyone's shoulders. Things were about to get back to normal – at least, as normal as they could be. Bonnie was able to craft Elena a daylight ring, and she was working on dealing with her newfound vampirism. She made the Salvatores promise not to go after Rebekah, and although they didn't want to, the boys agreed. Both Damon and Stefan still loved her and continued to fight over her – at least, when she wasn't around. They decided to give her space. Matt, on the other hand, was still human and was still trying to deal with what happened that night.

It seemed that Tyler was the happiest one in Mystic Falls to have Klaus gone. Now he could have Caroline all to himself and he was the alpha male – the only hybrid in town. But the bad news was, he didn't have Caroline. She seemed to grow more and more distant as the days went by.

If he only knew.

Caroline still had dreams about Klaus. A part of her wanted to know where he was, or at least what he was up to. Every time she heard the rustle of leaves, or wind coming from an open window, she couldn't help but look over her shoulder. She felt like he was watching her – or maybe she just wanted him to. She didn't know anymore. What she did know was that no one could find out about this, especially Tyler.

As Caroline looked at him now, playing football with Matt, she couldn't help but sigh. She was driving a wedge between them.

"Oh Caroline" she whispered to herself quietly, trying to clear her head.

"What's the matter with you? You always try to sabotage great things. With Matt. Now with Tyler – do you want to be alone? She was talking to herself now. Caroline rubbed her temples, trying yet failing to find relief.

She paced back and forth across the parking lot. Her hands were now knitted with each other and were resting on top of her head. She didn't know how to deal with all her feelings and that made her extremely furious all the more.

"Baby, can you hear me? Ball please" Tyler hollered from across the lot. It snapped her out of her thoughts. She must have been too distracted to hear him the first time.

"Give me a second" she hollered back, taking her sunglasses off and placing them on top of her head like a headband. She looked left and right until she found the football, sitting not too far away from her on the grass.

It took Caroline less than a second to get there.

"Are you okay?" someone said quietly from behind. But Caroline didn't hear her. She picked up the football and without even looking up, turned around and hurled it to where Tyler was waiting.

"Watch it!" Matt cried. Tyler caught the football all right, but lying right in front of Caroline on the grass was Elena, who had jumped out of the way in the nick of time.

"Oh my gosh Elena. I'm sorry." Caroline said, helping her friend to her feet.

"It's a good thing you're not the only vampire in town." Elena joked, brushing off the dirt from her clothes as she stood up. She looked over to the boys who were about to make their way over. "I'm fine. Get back to your game. We'll be there in a bit"

Caroline thought she was talking to Matt and Tyler, but she hadn't noticed that the Salvatore brothers were standing right behind them. When did they get here? Oh well. The boys got back to their game, while Elena walked with Caroline to a picnic bench nearby.

"What has gotten into you Car? You always seem to be on edge, and the fact that you haven't talked to any of us is starting to make us worry – especially Bonnie and I. Don't try to deny it – please just tell me how I can help you."

Caroline took a seat across from Elena, and put her shades back on, trying to hide her expression. The eyes were the windows to the truth, after all, and Caroline didn't know if she was ready for that yet.

"Is it about Tyler? Did you guys get into a fight or something?"

Caroline shook her head. "That's not the thing. He's been surprisingly great to me the past few days, especially after all that's happened."

"Then what is it?" Elena asked, a concerned look plastered on her face.

"It's complicated."

Elena couldn't help but laugh. "Trust me, I understand complicated."

Caroline forced a smile. Why of course she would, but this – this was the enemy. Would Elena be ready for that?

"By the looks on both your faces, I'm guessing I'm in for some serious girl talk. What's up Car?" Bonnie asked, arriving at the table and taking a seat next to Elena.

"It's – "

"Complicated." Elena finished, rolling her eyes.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow at Caroline. "Define complicated. I think we've had more than enough already. Let me know what I'm missing. Please."

Caroline realized she couldn't hide it from her friends anymore but at the same time Tyler was only a few yards away.

"Do you have a piece of paper?"

Bonnie mumbled a few words and then looked Caroline in the eye. "They can't hear us anymore. Go ahead"

"You –"

"Forget it Caroline. You're starting to scare me. Can you please just tell me what's going on?"

Caroline took a deep breath. She couldn't hide it from her friends any longer.

"It's Klaus."

Elena looked alarmed, and both she and Bonnie instantly sat up in their places and looked around.

"No, he's not here. I haven't seen him or heard from him – but I keep thinking about him. I dream about him. He- " Caroline began, but stopped when she saw Elena turn white and Bonnie already biting her lip.

"Wait a minute. Is this a nightmare he almost killed us again or something different?"

Caroline looked down at her hands, fidgeting. "Something different."

"Car!" Bonnie began, her voice louder than usual.

Elena, who had been silent for the past few minutes, held Bonnie's arm, trying to calm her down. "Bonnie, it was only a dream okay?" She then turned to her other friend. "Caroline, I really don't know how to put this gently – but you do know he tried to kill us right?"

"Well Damon tried to kill us too, didn't he?" she retaliated, surprised at her own words and confidence.

"Point taken. But he's –" Bonnie began, but Caroline already knew what she was going to say next.

"Different? I know he is. Damon's changed a lot because of you Elena, but what makes you guys think Klaus hasn't either?"

Bonnie was now running her hands through her hair exasperated while Elena was still trying to process the situation.

"He saved –"

Elena reached across the table and took Caroline's hand in hers, silencing her. "He saved himself Caroline. Like he always does. Don't you see? He only cares about himself. Last I checked he tried to kill us – in our own house – all of us. And we barely escaped. We got Bonnie and Tyler back alive, do you remember that?"

Caroline didn't know how to explain to her friends how she felt about him – and how she believed the dreams were signs in some way. She hadn't told them that he had saved her. Well it might have been after he bit her – but nonetheless, he saved her, doesn't that count for something?

At that moment Caroline realized that even if she told them the truth they'd only think he saved her to save himself – to not have any baggage or ties left in Mystic Falls. But didn't he want to kill them all anyway? Boy, this was getting confusing.

Caroline looked up to see concerned and hurt looks on both her friends' faces. "I know okay? I know that the last time we saw him he tried to kill us. I feel lucky to be alive and to have all of you here with me. But honestly, I just think that there is a whole other side to him. He's not entirely a bad person Elena. You believe that too right?"

Elena smiled. "Yes I do. I believe that there is good in every person. But it isn't your responsibility to fix him Caroline. I knew we were playing with fire when we told you to distract him. He responded accordingly and perhaps in the process you developed some feelings for him then. But remember Caroline, it was all just part of the plan. And knowing Klaus who is always a step ahead, how can you say that his response – his feelings for you, the paintings –everything weren't just a part of his own plan as well?"

Caroline felt like she had been struck by lightning. Elena could be right. Klaus might have been playing her just like she had been playing him.

"You may be right. I'm just really confused right now, I hope you understand."

Bonnie stood, walked over to Caroline's side and gave her a hug. "Of course we understand Caroline. We just don't want anyone to get hurt – especially you. We're family and we care about you. If you feel like your feelings have changed for Tyler then that's one thing and we can fix that, but the whole Klaus thing – I don't know."

"Are you girls okay? There seems to be a lot of drama going on." Stefan asked, taking a seat next to Elena. The boys had finished playing and had already headed to where they were seated.

Damon took the seat on the other side of Elena. "Girl drama? Boring. What I wanna know is how come we couldn't hear anything you guys were saying?"

Bonnie mumbled a few words and the spell was off.

"Oh witchcraft. I should have known." Damon said, smirking.

Elena smacked his arm. "Of course you should have known. Eavesdropping is wrong. Girl time is strictly girl time. So butt out."

Tyler laughed. "Fine then boy time is strictly boy time. Hmmm I wonder what we can do or where we can go?"

He smiled naughtily. Damon gave him a high five while Caroline smacked his arm.

"Don't even think about it."

"Okay, boss. Breathe. So anyway, why did you call all of us here? I don't want to be in school while its still summer. I don't think anyone wants to be here."

Caroline smiled. This was the distraction they all needed, especially her. "Okay, since school is just around the corner – okay maybe a month away – I'm thinking we should have a bonfire."

Elena cocked her head. "A bonfire? Are you sure this is a good idea?" She then turned to Matt. His sister had been bitten the night of the bonfire once before, it might not be a good idea to bring back that memory.

"It's okay Elena. I know what you're thinking. Caroline came to me with the idea yesterday and I wasn't for it at first—but then I realized that we have to enjoy the time we have together. Things are different now, and we don't know how long this peace is going to last. So while we still can, we should celebrate life – and I think a bonfire is a great idea to get everyone together. Plus, we have a lot of good vampires in town, and a really strong, though cocky, alpha hybrid."

Tyler put an arm around his friend. "You got that right. I'm in. This town is in dire need of a good party. And we are, after all, the best party planners."

Bonnie smiled. "I'm in. As long as we only keep to the beach, I'm sure everything will be fine. This is going to be fun!"

Caroline looked to the Salvatores and to Elena. "Come on you guys, it's going to be fun. I promise. We all need this."

Elena looked from Stefan to Damon and then back to Caroline and smiled. "Of course we're in. We'll have to convince the sheriff and your mom Tyler but other than that, I think this party is a definite go."

Caroline clapped her hands in approval. "I can't wait! This will be the best bonfire Mystic Falls has ever seen!"

Everyone at the table had their share of worries but couldn't help but be just as excited.


	6. Didnt Mom Tell You Not To Play w Fire

**Chapter 6 – Didn't Your Mother Tell You Not To Play With Fire?**

As Caroline pulled up into the makeshift parking lot near the beach, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Tons of people had actually showed up to the party.

"This was definitely a great idea Car. Seems like not just our group of friends needed this, but everyone in Mystic Falls." Elena said from the backseat, giving her friend a pat on the back.

"Definitely. As long as everything goes smoothly tonight, I think the town will soon forget about the whole vampire thing. It's a good thing we found someplace near a beach this time so that people would avoid staying in the woods." Bonnie answered.

Caroline smiled. "Of course, we don't want to take any chances. It was only, what—a thirty minute drive? That's nothing. And besides, here we are, three best friends who have survived it all. I think it calls for some celebration!"

The three of them then got out of the car and made their way to where the huge bonfire was situated. As they approached they could see Stefan, Damon, Tyler and Matt drinking beer and joking around with each other.

"Who knew this could happen?" Elena commented, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"I know right? I think I like this better than when they were at each other's throats. Why don't we get something to drink first? Cocktails ladies?" Bonnie said, looking to both her friends.

"Definitely. Let's go. I'm thirsty" Caroline replied.

Elena, Caroline and Bonnie grabbed some cocktails from the drinks table, which Caroline spiked with some animal blood for her and Elena before they made their way, once again, to the huge bonfire. Now Stefan wasn't with the group. He was sitting on the sand watching the waves crash in.

"Go. You know you want to." Caroline encouraged, squeezing Elena's hand. She smiles back before she makes her way across the beach and sits beside him, leaving Caroline and Bonnie walking to the rest of the group.

"Do you mind if I leave you for a little while Car? I think Jeremy just arrived." Bonnie asked, tugging at her arm.

Before Caroline could even say anything, Bonnie had already moved away. "I will explain later, I promise. Don't worry, Elena knows." She hurries to where Jeremy is standing and immediately wraps her arms around his neck. He leaned in towards her, and their foreheads meet. Caroline looked away before she could see anything else.

"Go figure. Back to Caroline being all alone again," she whispers to herself, before downing her whole cup of spiked Bloody Mary.

"No she's not," a familiar voice, whispers into her ear. As she turns around she finds Tyler standing right in front of her, smiling.

"Well you know, this time last year, you were kind of busy…"

He cocks his head to one side. "I know. I was such a dick back then. I should still be the alpha male around here but no – things have totally changed. I'm a lovesick puppy trying to impress the prettiest girl here. I even left Damon and Matt together – go figure. I wonder if my charms' working."

He leans in and kisses her softly on the lips before handing her another drink.

"Oh yes it is" Caroline replies, taking a sip from the new cup.

It didn't take Caroline long to realize that it was spiked with human blood. She couldn't help but take a step backward, lick her lips and look Tyler in the eye worriedly.

"Relax baby, it's not what you think. You can thank me later. We all need to be prepared in case anything happens."

Caroline sighs. He's right. It would be best to be prepared. But prepared for what? Once again thoughts of Klaus infiltrate her mind and she closes her eyes trying to forget about them.

"Are you okay?" he asks, breaking her thoughts.

She looks at Tyler, who had a confused and concerned look on his face, before forcing a smile. "Of course. Cheers!" Caroline decides to change the subject and both of them finish off their drinks.

"Do you want to dance?" Tyler asks afterwards, still suspicious over Caroline's actions.

"I thought you'd never ask." She replies, taking his hand and leading them closer to where the bonfire was. She could see Elena's arms wrapped around Stefan's neck, slow dancing, although the song that was playing was pretty upbeat. It was like they were in their own world. Jeremy and Bonnie, on the other hand, couldn't seem to keep their hands off of each other, and he had his arms wrapped tightly against her waist, crushing her to him. She definitely liked it.

Caroline, who was starting to feel a little dizzy over the two drinks she took, swayed awkwardly to the music at first but then she felt this heat creep up her body, this certain burn – like someone was looking at her, staring at her, and it made her feel seductive. She knew Tyler was there, but she felt like someone else was there as well. She no longer moved awkwardly, but found herself closing her eyes, swaying her hips to the beat, her hands traveling from her head down to her shoulders until she reached the helm of her skirt. She was slowly inching it upward, teasingly, before she let it go and ran her hands through her hair instead, tugging and twirling. She knew just the right places to touch.

In a matter of seconds, someone wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him. Without even looking at his face, her eyes still shut close; she turned around and moved against him. He grunted, his breath coming in fits. "Love."

Caroline recognized the voice almost immediately. She turned around, opened her eyes, expecting to see him, but there was no one. She ran her hands through her hair, searching left and right, but there was still no sign of Klaus Mickaelson. She knew it was his voice – she recognized it all too well. She couldn't be wrong. He was here. She walked across the sand, not wanting to alarm anyone until she was fairly certain, but then someone grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her back.

She looked up to find Tyler standing right in front of her.

"I thought we were going to dance baby. One minute you were dancing all seductively, the next you were gone. You do realize you're not supposed to show super speed in public right? Now we're at one of the smaller bonfires away from the gang. Hmmmmm but on second thought, I could use the privacy." Tyler explained, caressing her hand, which was still in his.

Before Caroline could say anything, his lips were on hers. He left go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. She tried to gather her thoughts, but it was difficult when he was distracting her so. She wrapped her arms around his neck, playing with the hair on the back of his head, making him grunt with desire.

He teased her, licking her lips with his tongue and she couldn't help herself as her lips parted, wanting to taste him for herself. He bit her lower lip softly, tugging and teasing that she forgot all about Klaus. She traced her hands across his back and stopped when she reached the end of his shirt. She reached underneath until she felt his muscles tense and the heat radiating from his skin.

He let her go, and in a matter of seconds he had taken his shirt off and she was back in his arms again. He kissed her hair, teased her ear with his tongue, and traced his lips across her cheek until finally burying his head in her neck. She couldn't help but moan.

His hands were tugging at the straps of her tank top and as he kissed each of her shoulders one by one, he removed the straps until her top fell in a pool at her feet. She was now dressed only in her barely there bikini lace top and her skirt. He couldn't help but smile seductively at her.

Tyler lifted her into his arms, kissed her lips until they found themselves on the sand, Caroline seated on top of him. She could feel the evidence of his desire, and she knew at that moment she wanted him herself, but she couldn't help but wonder if it was only the alcohol.

He trailed kisses down the side of her neck until he reached her chest. He kissed her there, and it made her moan once again in desire. He closed his eyes and returned to making love to her neck while trying to undo the button of his pants.

At that very moment, though, as Caroline looked straight into the bonfire, she remembered what had happened earlier – Klaus. She instantly froze. She let go of him, broke free from his hold and stood, grabbing her top from the ground and putting it on.

"Caroline, what's wrong? Are you mad?" he asks, panting, trying to recover from what had just happened. He grabbed his shirt and put it back on. Tyler attempts to reach over to her but she backs away, cringing.

"Caroline, what did I do? Is it because we're here on the beach? I'm sorry okay. I just thought – " he began, but then threw his arms in the air enraged. "No on second thought, what is wrong Caroline? Can YOU please tell me instead? This keeps happening to us and I keep apologizing for it, but I'm starting to think that there's something you aren't telling me. I won't apologize for trying to make love to the woman I care about. There's a wall between us Caroline and I don't know why. I just…."

"Jesus. Can you just tell me what is going on so I can fix it? I can't keep doing this," he says in a louder voice, and Caroline could tell he was hurt.

She shakes her head. "Noth-."

"Nothing. So there's a wall between us for nothing. Dammit, you know what? Can you call me when the real Caroline is back in your body? Because this person – this person who keeps things from me – this isn't you." He says, pointing at Caroline before walking away from her and making his way back up to the huge bonfire where the rest of the crowd was.

Caroline was left alone with her thoughts. As she sat down on the sand and faced the fire that was slowly dying down she knew she should go after him, but her body didn't seem to cooperate—especially her heart. He needed time to cool off while she needed time to figure things out. She couldn't keep hurting him this way. She couldn't be that cruel.

"Car, are you okay?" Elena asked, interrupting her thoughts.

She wrapped her arms around her friend and pulled her in for a hug. "It's complicated."

Elena let her go and sat beside her. "Complicated how? Is this about what you said the other day?"

Caroline nodded. "But it's not just that. I haven't been myself lately, and I don't know if I feel the same way about Tyler as I thought I did. After everything that's happened, can you honestly tell me that the way you feel for Stefan hasn't changed?"

Elena kicked back some of the sand and then looked her friend in the eye. "I think every relationship is different. I can't say it hasn't changed when I haven't even figured it out yet. There's too much going on."

"Exactly. I just – I need time. And clarity."

"Well with time comes clarity, if you know the right places to look" Bonnie continues, taking a seat on the other side of Caroline. "Tyler tried to pick a fight with some random guy – for no reason at all. It was a good thing Matt stopped him in time. He could've broken the guys' skull in seconds. That's why we rushed here as soon as we could. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I don't know. Really guys, I appreciate what you're trying to do here, but I still can't quite figure out how to explain everything and the way that I feel." Caroline confessed.

"You know what – enough with vampires, originals, hybrids and worrying about our futures. Let's live in the now and I know just the thing we can do." Elena proclaims, standing up. She kicks off her slippers and takes off her dress, leaving her clad in her bikini.

"No way. Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" Caroline asks.

"Yes. Let's go skinny dipping!"

Bonnie mouth dropped open in shock.

"Is this the same Elena Gilbert we went to high school with? She's actually wilder then we knew." Caroline said, grinning.

Elena pulled both of her friends to their feet. "Come on guys. This is to our new and improved, courageous and bolder selves. We've always wanted to do it – why not now?"

Caroline and Bonnie couldn't help but agree with her. They stripped out of their clothing. As soon as the three girls reached the end of the beach where the waves crash in, they removed the rest of their swimwear.

"Last one in the water buys us coffee afterwards!"

Altogether the three of them run into the ocean and dive into its freezing waters.

"Oh my –" Bonnie screams, as soon as she finds the surface. "Its coo-ld" she manages to say, her teeth chattering.

"I don't feel anything." Caroline said, splashing Elena, who splashes her back.

"Vampire—ss" Bonnie whispers. "Un—fair." She then makes a spell that allows her to resist the cold waters. "Much better"

As soon as Caroline and Elena realize this, they splash Bonnie as well, until she sputters out water. She splashes them back and the three of them can't help but laugh. If this was what normal was going to be like for them, Caroline knew that they all could get used to it.

"I can't believe we just did this. We better get back though, before the boys try to find us. We might not be able to get out of the water then!" Elena explained, paddling herself back to shore.

Caroline and Bonnie follow. As soon as they are on the beach, they grab their bikinis and make their way to the fire, where they decide to get warm and dressed. They shake off some of the water from their hair while they put their bikinis back on.

"Oh my gosh" a male voice suddenly says from the shadows, interrupting them. They cringe, covering up their bodies instinctively. Caroline slips on her tank top and skirt while both Bonnie and Elena get into their dresses hurriedly.

When they turn to where they heard the voice, they find a man slowly making his way towards them. He seemed to be drunk. Caroline stands in front of both of her friends, trying to protect them, but then backs down when she realizes whom it was.

"Matt, how long have you been there? I can't believe you saw all of us—"

Caroline could feel her face turn bright red. She could imagine the same embarrassment for Elena and Bonnie. "Um, no, I won't remember this in the morning." he says, before he keels over and throws up.

The girls looked at each other and instead of being all embarrassed after what happened they realized he was probably right. "Elena and Bonnie, I've got this. You have to tell the boys that Matt might need a right home, and one of you has to make sure no other student has wandered off drunk. We don't want any more accidents."

Elena and Bonnie did what they were told. They made their way back to the party as fast as they possibly could. Caroline, on the other hand, went over to Matt and taking off her tank top, she used it to wipe his face.

She then led Matt with her slowly and together they sat down on the sand near the fire. Matt leaned his head against Caroline's shoulder. "Caroline what happened? You liked me and then you liked Tyler but I'm starting to get the feeling that you don't like him either. He's not a playboy anymore Car. With you he's serious – so even though I don't owe him or you anything especially after what happened, I just don't want either of you to get hurt. Don't do this – don't force what you don't want." Matt starts babbling, trying to give his friend some advice.

Caroline smiles. She always cared about Matt and she knew just how much he cared as well, and how much he knew her. "It's not that."

Matt looked at her quizzically. "What then? You've always been hard to read Caroline but the best thing you can do – and I know you will because you care – is to tell him. Don't –"

He passes out before he could even finish his sentence. Caroline puts his arm around him, leaning her head on top of his. "Thanks Matt." She then remembers what had happened earlier, the voice that she heard – Klaus. She didn't know what was real anymore, but she knew she had to figure it out.

"Tell me this isn't for real Caroline. Is this what you've been hiding from me? Matt?"

Caroline looks up to find Tyler standing in front of her, his arms folded across his chest. She was only clad in her bikini top and skirt. Judging from the look on his face, he had the wrong idea of what was going on.

"No Tyler. Of course not. It's complicated. I feel confused with everything that's happening but not about Matt. He's drunk, and we had to make sure he was okay. Didn't Elena tell you?" She didn't answer his question directly, but it was the truth.

Tyler reached over and lifted Matt in a fireman's carry. "I just wanted to make sure. I'll take Matt home. I'm sorry for what happened earlier. Can we forget about it? I just had a little too much to drink and I might have gone overboard. You've just been through a lot. I'm here and I understand."

Caroline frowned. "Tyler you don't understand. You're not listening."

Tyler lifted a hand and cradled her face "No Caroline, you aren't. Don't worry about anything. We're fine. Everything between us is fine. I'll see you at home. Elena and the rest of the gang will take care of the party. I told them we might have other plans after dealing with matt. Anyway, take all the time you need baby."

Tyler carries Matt and makes his way to his car, leaving Caroline alone on the beach. Ugh how complicated. She needed to get away. Staying in Mystic Falls wasn't helping her – all this "normal" wasn't doing her any good, just making her even more confused.

"Why are you here all by yourself Caroline? It isn't safe."

Caroline finds her mother walking towards her, probably from patrolling the beach but Caroline was still surprised to see her. "What are you doing here mom? Umm, I just – I needed some time to think."

"I'm patrolling the party – what you should be doing as well." The sheriff explained. "I saw Tyler take Matt home. Bonnie and Elena are sobering up some of your classmates that are drunk. I don't want to have to worry about you, please don't stay here all by yourself."

"Mom, you know I can defend myself-"

"You almost got killed." Her mom cut her off.

"Fine, I think I'll head home then. I'm really tired. Looks like there will be no disturbance tonight." She slowly made her way up the beach and towards the parking lot.

"Not on my account! Oh before I forget, I have something for you. Let's just say it is an end-of-summer gift from your dad and me! Yes, he left us some money and I decided to use it for the one thing he cared about most in this world, what we both care about– and that's you."

Caroline hurried over to her mother and gave her a tight squeeze.

"Thanks, you know you didn't have to!"

"No matter what, you're my Caroline and I'll always love you." her mother whispered softly before letting her go and heading back to the party.

"Please say bye to Elena and the rest for me!" Caroline hollered. She couldn't help but smile. Her mother has been really sweet to her lately, especially after her father died—and the fact that she had almost died as well.

If her mother only knew what else she had been going through.

* * *

_Caroline,_

_Someday you might need this. When you're ready. Use it wisely._

_Love,_

_Mom and Dad_

Caroline tore open the envelope attached to the note and found a plane ticket. The instructions said she could use it anytime and she could fly anywhere as long as there were seats available. She just needed to inform the airline at least an hour before the flight. It was only for one person – not that she thought of bringing anybody – but still.

She couldn't believe what she was holding. This was her ticket out. Her mother actually knew what she was going through, or if not, it was simply a wonderful coincidence. This was the break she badly needed, the time she could use wisely to think. It was perfect. She could just imagine being halfway around the world – in London or Paris – and it made her smile. Anywhere out of Mystic Falls would be a treat.

After everything that they had been through, especially after she had turned, Caroline didn't know what she wanted to do with her life. After the whole Originals debacle, she felt even more confused. Now that Elena was a vampire, Bonnie was a witch, Tyler was a hybrid – everything seemed to be turned upside down. And Klaus – well she didn't know what to think about that. As much as she tried to push him away, he always seemed to come back.

She needed to get away from it all. She just wanted to be alone with her thoughts. She could no longer take this confusion; Caroline had enough. This was the break she wished for - needed more than anything else.

Without even thinking twice she grabbed her cellphone and dialed.

"Hello, this is American Airlines, how can I help you?"


	7. Monalisa

**Chapter 7 – Monalisa**

"Bonjour mademoiselle, would you like another cup of coffee or can I get you something else with that?"

Caroline looked up to the kind waiter and smiled. "Yes please, another cup and a nice butter croissant would do."

"Right away miss" he replied, in a thick French-English accent.

As Caroline looked around her, admiring the cobblestones and the Seine, she still couldn't believe she had done it. In just 24 hours she had already settled in a quaint boutique hotel in Paris, and was now sitting in a café having some breakfast. She bought tickets to the Louvre, Versailles, and the Eiffel Tower, and she was excited to visit them all. It didn't matter that she was alone. In fact, she liked the feeling of independence and the sense of adventure that came with it. She was incredibly lucky to be on this trip and would have loved to have her best friends with her, but at least it would give her some time for herself and some time to think.

The waiter arrived minutes later and Caroline enjoyed munching down on her croissant and taking sips of the delicious coffee. After she had paid, she took a train to Chateau de Versailles, the first destination in her itinerary.

As soon as the palace came into view, Caroline's jaw dropped. She couldn't contain her amusement. She was taken away not only by its incredible size, but also and most especially by the exquisite detail and the history behind it. As she strolled through the gardens, she felt like she belonged there and found herself dreaming of what it would feel like to be delighted with such royalty.

"Mary Antoinette is indeed one lucky lady," she commented, admiring the Petit Trianon part of the grounds.

"But it does come with a price, doesn't it? To live in a palace this extensive must come with strict rules, awful stepmothers – and wait, what else do they talk about in story books?" a voice answered from behind.

Caroline turned, lifted her sunglasses and tucked it in hair like a headband to find a gorgeous British man standing right in front of her.

"I don't think Mary Antoinette had awful stepmothers, but I totally agree – it must come with a price tag of some sort. Unless its genuine love, then I do repeat my statement – she is the luckiest girl in the world."

He laughed, "So you do believe in love, I take it?"

Caroline felt her cheeks turn red. This cute guy was flirting with her and she was playing with fire by flirting back. It couldn't be so bad, could it? "Of course I do. What made you think otherwise?"

He shuffled his feet, embarrassed. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea or anything, but most American girls seem to have a different opinion on it -at least, the ones I've dated."

Caroline smiled. "Well I'm not like other American girls."

"My apologies then, do forget I said anything. Could I make it up to you in some way, maybe a cup of tea or something?"

He did look awfully dapper in his polo shirt and khaki pants. And his accent, Caroline was a sucker for it. She found it hard to say no.

"Although I would love a nice pot of tea, I'm sorry. I've got a lot planned for myself today, and I would feel awful if I didn't finish it all."

He looked disheartened, but tried as much as he could not to show it. "Well at least I could offer you a ride. Where are you headed exactly? I might be able to buy you some time."

"The Louvre" she replied.

"Oh, that's definitely one of the most beautiful places I haven't gotten the chance to see here in Paris yet. I hear the Monalisa and the Wedding at Cana are, how should I say this, "to die for?"

Caroline couldn't help but chuckle at his attempt to incorporate American lingo. This guy wasn't so bad, and she wouldn't mind his company. In fact, why shouldn't she invite him to tag along? It was only a museum, not a date, anyway.

Before she could think twice about it, she said, "Then you should come. If you're offering me a ride, then you might as well come and see it for yourself. That is, if you aren't busy or anything."

He smiled at her, offering her his arm. "Let's go."

She held on to his arm as they made their way back through the gardens and out of the palace gates. He asked the valet to get his car, and when it arrived, Caroline couldn't believe what she was seeing – it was a yellow Lamborghini. This day was definitely full of surprises.

"We are going to the Louvre, in this?" she shrieked, failing to hide her shocked expression.

He seemed to be amused by her reaction. He opened the door for her and helped her get into the car. "Yes, we are. I hope you don't mind."

She couldn't help but smile back – now she was the luckiest girl in the world.

He took the drivers seat then and in a matter of seconds, they were off. They breezed through the traffic of Paris, taking small back roads and avoiding crowded lanes. Pretty soon they had arrived at their destination and were walking through the entrance of the Louvre.

"Thank you for the ride. I really appreciate it. It must be really popular with the girls that you date."

He nodded, "As long as you enjoyed yourself, that's good enough for me."

Boy did this Brit know how to flirt. She felt her cheeks turn red almost instantly. With her hand around his arm, they walked around the first floor, Caroline stopping every now and then to take pictures of the Greek sculptures. For fun they tried to imitate them in their poses, but since the sculptures were mostly naked, the both of them ended up laughing instead.

As soon as they saw the Victory of Samothrace though, Caroline's eyes lit up and she couldn't say a word. The gusts of wind that lifted her robes, the wet fabric seemingly clinging to her body and the strength, which seemed to bring the sculpture to life, left Caroline in a dazed state. She felt moved by its vigor and was reminded of her friends – Elena and Bonnie, and how admirable they were after everything that they had been through.

And here she thought she could forget about Mystic Falls, Now she was missing everyone and she'd only been away for a day.

She moved to the next floors, trying to distract herself. They roamed around the different rooms of paintings – from French to Northern Italian, Spanish and British artwork. Eventually Caroline couldn't tell the difference. Some of the paintings made her feel sad especially those that depicted bloodshed on canvas while others delighted her like the paintings of children.

She was dumbfounded by the intricacy and the size of the Coronation of Napoleon I and the Wedding at Cana but what she was most excited to see, and what brought her to tears was the prized Masterpiece of Leonardo de Vinci – the Monalisa.

For a few seconds, Caroline found herself holding her breath, taking it all in. As she stared at the painting and all its glory, she tried to figure out if it was indeed a self-portrait of De Vinci himself or not, as the rumors claimed. But it really didn't matter. Caroline was drawn to the softness, the sensitivity in her gaze and the enigmatic smile she had on her face. De Vinci wasn't just trying to depict her physical beauty, but of everything that he must have loved about her and that brought Caroline to tears. It was the most romantic thing she had ever seen.

As she wiped away her tears, she couldn't help but remember the drawing she had hidden in her drawer, the one that Klaus had given her after their night at the Original Ball. She pictured it in her head and realized that Klaus didn't just give her a simple portrait. There was so much more to it that she hadn't realized until now, and she was humbled. He depicted a light in her eyes – a mix of honesty and sadness, a sense of longing, and before Caroline even realized it, her tears were falling all over again.

She couldn't forget about Mystic Falls even if she tried.

"Hey are you alright?" her British companion asked, handing her a handkerchief.

She took it and dabbed at her eyes, trying not to ruin her makeup. "Yes, I'm sorry. I think I got pretty overwhelmed by the Monalisa."

He smiled. "Spoken like a true romantic."

She felt comforted by his presence but at the same time, she realized she didn't need another man in her life. She was already confused by her feelings for Tyler, and her strange feelings towards Klaus. She knew she cared about them both, and she needed to focus on that, and not try to run away from it.

"Thank you again for taking me. I really enjoyed this afternoon…" Caroline began, but paused when she realized she didn't know his name.

"Tyler. The name's Tyler."

What a coincidence, she thought to herself.

"Thank you Tyler. I'm Caroline by the way." she revealed.

"Would you like to go to dinner with me Caroline?" he asked kindly in response.

Instead of saying no straight away, she gave Tyler a hug instead. "I really appreciate your company Tyler, believe me I do. But to be really honest with you, I'm taken with somebody else. You're perfect in your own way and if I had met you first I'd probably say yes, but given the situation we are in now, I know someone out there is destined to be with you, and I'd simply be a bump on the road. Be patient, love is just around the corner" she whispered, before letting him go.

He looked at her with a pleased expression. "Thank you Caroline. You are indeed not like other American girls. The man who holds your heart is lucky. He better be sure to take good care of it."

She smiled back before walking away "Goodbye Tyler. And thank you again."

As she exited the Louvre she knew that she had an important decision to make. She should no longer have to live in confusion over her feelings. She took this trip for a reason, and was hoping to find answers – and fast.

She made her way to the last destination for the day – the Eiffel Tower. She decided to take the stairs, and with her vampire speed, she was at the top in a matter of minutes. It was already sunset in Paris, and the view was exquisite. The sky was a hue of pink, blue and orange. Coupled with the gorgeous old buildings and the Seine, it was like a dream.

She wished Elena and Bonnie were here to see this, her mother too. Also Tyler and Matt, they'd enjoy the view as well. It was funny because although she didn't want to think about him, at the back of her head she smiled at the thought of Klaus standing here next to her. He'd be able to see things she couldn't, like a painting, and couldn't help but wonder to herself what he'd say.

"It's beautiful. But I think I've found something even more breathtaking. Tu es belle."

It was like he was standing right behind her, whispering into her ear. She turned, but found nothing. She didn't know why she felt a pang of disappointment.

Suddenly she felt a vibration coming from her purse, which interrupted her thoughts. Gosh, what time was it in Mystic Falls right now? She had forgotten to call her mother. Sheriff Forbes must be worried.

She wasn't able to answer in time, and found that she had around 20 missed calls. There were some from Tyler and Stefan but mostly from Elena.

She dialed Elena's number and after only one ring her friend answered. "Caroline Forbes, where in the world are you? Can you imagine how worried we've been for the past 24 hours? Your mother has been asking so many questions. Tyler seems to have completely lost it. Damon and Matt are out looking for you, while Bonnie is trying a tracking spell but you seem to be blocking it. Stefan, stop it, let me talk…"

Stefan grabbed the phone from Elena, "Whatever it is and wherever you are, come back right now. I mean it Caroline."

Elena grabbed the phone back from Stefan. "Don't mind Stefan Caroline. What he means to say, kindly is, everyone is worried about you. Can you at least tell us where you are? I know you've been through a lot but.."

"Elena, breathe. Don't worry about me and tell the rest as well. I'm fine. Didn't my mother tell you? She probably forgot." Caroline said, calmly.

Elena sighed on the other end. "Stop playing games with us Caroline. You're mother's about to send a search party for you in the woods and you know how dangerous that could be for any human. Damon and Matt are trying to hold them off. She has no idea where you are and you didn't even call her. She's still your mother you know. No one knew where you went after the party."

Caroline couldn't understand. Didn't her mother send her here as a gift? Didn't the letter say she could choose the date especially when she needed it the most? How could she easily forget? This definitely wasn't right. There was something going on and Caroline knew that whatever it was – it wasn't good.

It took her a mere second to figure out who could be responsible. It sent shivers down her spine. She had fallen into a trap, and she was all by herself. No one could protect her. She wasn't a hundred percent sure or anything but what she did know what that her mind was all confused again and that could only mean one person – Klaus Mickaelson. She was both afraid and excited at the same time.

"Caroline, are you still there? Talk to me."

Caroline tried to sound as calm and unshaken as she could. "Elena, I need to ask you a favor and I need you to trust me can you do that?"

"I don't like where this is going but because I care about you and I know you'll do whatever it is you think you need to do anyway, I have no choice but to trust you. What is it?"

By the tone in her voice, she knew Elena was really worried. "I know it will be hard to wrap your head around it, and you probably won't believe me, but I'm standing on the top floor of the Eiffel Tower right now. I need you to tell my mom that I needed some time for myself and that you lent me keys to your parent's cabin or something. Tell her I'll give her a call soon, and that I'm safe. If that doesn't get to her, I give you permission to compel my mother- only for her safety."

"Wait a minute, you're in PARIS without me? How did you –"

"It doesn't matter how I got here. It matters that I'm safe. Can you please just do what I ask?"

Stefan had grabbed the phone from Elena. "I know I'm interrupting some girl pact or something, but the only way I'm letting Elena do this is if you let me in on what's going on Caroline. What are you doing in Paris?"

She knew Stefan could see right through here even if they weren't standing face to face. He knew something was up, and Caroline knew the only way to calm him down. "If you think I'm trying to look for danger Stefan, then you're wrong. I just need some time away from Mystic Falls, and I need time to think. After everything we've been through, can you please just give me this? I don't know who Caroline Forbes is anymore. I don't know how I feel about Tyler. I just needed to get out of there before I hurt anyone"

Stefan took a deep breath, exasperated. "Couldn't you just do your soul-searching somewhere nearer, somewhere where I could protect you at least? Bonnie cant even track you down, it's making me really worried that there's something bad that's about to happen."

She tried to calm him down. "Don't overthink this Stefan. I'm doing this for me, not for anyone else. You have to understand, when you know you can live forever, do you want to live in a state of confusion? Do you want me to live the rest of my life this way? I think I'd go crazy."

"Alright, Caroline I trust you. I understand where you are coming from. Just please be careful. You might be doing this for yourself, but you might not realize that you're in danger while you're at it. Don't let people in so easily."

"I won't. Take care of Elena and Bonnie for me okay. And tell Bonnie to stop tracking me, I feel like I'm being stalked. It's suffocating."

"I will. Wait, here's Elena, she has something to say"

"Stefan's so rude he keeps grabbing the phone from me when I have so much I want to tell you."

"Elena, it's like you don't know Stefan at all. He worries about everyone and wants to make sure they are safe especially if it someone you care about. He can't stand to see you hurt of all people. At the end of the day, I'm actually kind of hurt. He just cares about us because he cares about you."

Elena repeats what Caroline said aloud. "That's not true!" Stefan shouts from a far.

"Now back to what I wanted to ask. What should I tell Tyler? He's been worried sick about you. I know we can compel your mom to calm down, but you know for a fact that Tyler is a different story. I don't think I can lie to him Caroline." Elena admitted.

"I'm not asking you to. Just tell him what I told you and I think if he cares about me as much as he does, he'll give me some time to think things through. He's not going to like it and he'll probably want to chase me down, but try to placate him in some way and make him understand that this is for the better—that I need this more than anything right now."

"Okay, Caroline, I will do my best. But you promise me you'll message me once in a while and at least call your mother so she won't worry? Take care of yourself and oh, don't forget to bring me something European—hmmm like maybe, a man?"

Caroline thought of British Tyler and laughed. "Very funny Elena. You have two wonderful men there with you who will take you wherever you want to go. I don't think you need a third. Have you figured out who you want to be with yet?"

There was silence on the other end.

"I thought so. But I was only kidding okay? Please don't be mad, take all the time you need. It isn't an easy decision to make and I know that especially if you don't want anyone to get hurt." Caroline thought she was only talking about the Damon-Stefan-Elena triangle, but the advice seemed to apply to her as well.

"I really miss you Elena and I'll be home soon."

"We miss you too Caroline. We'll take care of things around here. I just hope you find what you're looking for."

Caroline put down the phone and tucked it back into her purse. A temporary sense of relief washed over her and she couldn't help but smile. Stefan and Elena had trusted her. Hopefully she wouldn't let them down. She knew she had lied to them, but only because she didn't want them to worry. A part of her was afraid of what was about to happen next, but there was also a part of her that was curious and excited. She didn't want to pull the plug on something she wasn't sure of—at least, not yet.

And there was a lot of that going around. She didn't know how she felt about Tyler, and why she kept thinking of Klaus. That was why she was in Paris in the first place right? To figure out her feelings and set the record straight? Or was it also because a part of her thought, or imagined, that Klaus would be there too? This was all confusing. A minute ago she was free of the whole vampire-witch-hybrid- original world that she was thrust into, but now she was back into it. She couldn't run away from it even if she tried.

She took a taxi back to her hotel and decided to take a nice cold shower. She was hungry and knew that she'd have to find some blood soon, but right now she need to clear her head more than anything. All these thoughts of Klaus, of Tyler and the real reason why she was here were giving her a headache.

As soon as she entered the hotel, she didn't notice the receptionist waving at her to stop. She had already entered the elevator when she heard her name being called.

"Miss Forbes wait. A telegram came for you today."

She held the elevator open as the receptionist handed her the letter. "Thank you." she managed to get out. She hadn't told anyone she was in Paris or where she was staying up until a minute or two ago, so it could only mean one thing – she was not alone. She felt goose bumps creep up her arm. It was like she was holding ice, but this kind of cold made her shiver all the way down to her core.

She unlocked her room and sat on her bed before slowly opening the envelope. She took the letter out, and another piece of parchment fell to the floor. She picked it up and as soon as she turned it over, she covered her mouth in shock.

It was a beautiful sketch of the London Eye. But that wasn't what took her by surprise. It was the signature. It had Klaus Mickaelson written all over it. She quickly opened the letter, read through it, and without thinking twice, stood and grabbed her carry on bag.

As she packed her things, she couldn't help but repeat his words over and over in her mind. "I promised I'd show you the world. And a promise is a promise Miss Forbes. You haven't seen anything yet." Attached with the sketch and the letter was a business class plane ticket.

Caroline didn't even know why she was considering this, but she had to follow her gut. Right now it was telling her to go and find out what this was all about. She always had a knack for adventure, and she wasn't going to wait for it to come to her. Caroline knew she might be stepping headfirst into a trap, but she was willing to risk it. She had more to lose if she didn't go – who knows what Klaus would do next?

It was time to put an end to her confusion. And she went all the way to Europe, why should she stop now? She quickly wrapped a scarf around her neck and grabbed her bags. She tucked the letter in her purse, and couldn't help but laugh crazily to herself.

She was heading to London.


	8. Forget You

**Chapter 8 – Forget You**

Just like that, Caroline abandoned her Parisian plans and hopped on a plane to London – no questions asked. Now, as she waited for her bag to appear on the carousel, she felt a tinge of guilt. Maybe she should have given this some thought. Maybe she shouldn't have just accepted the offer that quick. Was she that easy to fool?

A part of her knew that Klaus Mikaelson, after everything that has happened in Mystic Falls, should not be trusted. But another part of her, the part of her that was back in her bedroom, reliving the moment where Klaus fed her his blood and saved her– was a whole different story. She was being pulled back and forth between the two, but maybe this trip would decide once and for all what side she was on, or at least help her clean up this mess.

Caroline knew that she was clinging to the idea of an honest and good Klaus Mikaelson but what if it was all just her imagination? Could she handle this? Was she walking to her own death open heartedly?

All these doubts and confusion made her head hurt. She put her sunglasses on, trying to block out the sunshine seeping through the tall glass windows of Heathrow airport that was bothering her, when suddenly she felt a light tap on her back.

Instinctively, Caroline jumped and in the process, dropped her sunglasses and her purse. She quickly bent over to grab her things and when she stood she was eye to eye with an innocent looking teenager, who was startled and looked guilty for what he had done.

"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you. I was behind you at the check-in counter at Charles de Gaulle and I think I just saw your bag pass and I didn't want you to miss it."

Caroline smiled. "No I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me. Thank you so much."

"No problem"

Embarrassed, she scurried hurriedly over to where her bag was and picked it up from the carousel. She walked over to the arrival area and found that no one was holding a sign with her name on it. Now what? She didn't know where to go, who to contact or what she was going to do in London. Some clarity she was getting.

Maybe this was the sign that she should just get a ticket back to Paris – or back home to Mystic Falls.

Exasperated, Caroline sighed. She was about to head back into the airport when she heard someone faintly call her name. "Miss Forbes, is that you?"

She turned, searching for the person calling out her name and found an old man slowly making his way over to where she was standing. He looked like a butler or chauffer of some sort. Caroline met him halfway.

"Yes, I am Miss Forbes. You can just call me Caroline. And you are?" she said, holding out her hand.

He took it and smiled, "I'm Thomas. I'm sorry I'm late. As you can see madam, I'm not as agile as I used to be." He motioned for Caroline to hand over her bag for him to carry but she shook her head instead.

"Don't worry about it. It's not that heavy"

But still he insisted. "Madam, please. It's the least I could do. I promised Sir I would take care of you the minute you set foot in London."

As soon as Thomas said "Sir" her head quickly snapped up. "Where is this Sir? Isn't he supposed to meet me?"

Thomas smiled. "In due time madam. Please, let me take your bag."

Caroline took one look at Thomas and realizing that she wouldn't win this one, she handed over her bag. They slowly walked over to the parking lot and she was surprised when Thomas stopped in front of a vintage Rolls Royce.

"We are riding in this?" she couldn't hide the shocked look on her face.

"Yes madam. Is it not to your preference? Should I have another car sent here?" Thomas responded worriedly.

"No it's not that. I'm just –. Never mind." Caroline began, but didn't finish her sentence. She should have gathered that Klaus was never subtle and that since he had been living for thousands of years, he must have amassed so much wealth. But what surprised her really was the fact that he would share it with her – that he was doing this – for her. There must be some catch. She must not put her guard down.

Thomas quickly stuffed her bag in the trunk and walked over to the passenger seat to open Caroline's door for her. She settled inside but before he left, she lowered the window and called out to him.

He bent over and smiled.

"Yes madam?"

"Thomas, listen to me. Tell me the truth. Where is Klaus? Is this a set- up? Let's leave while we both still have the chance." Thomas was starting to grow on her and although Caroline knew it was wrong to compel him, she couldn't resist as long as it was for her safety. There was too much at stake and Caroline needed to know or at least gather some Intel on the situation.

She was taken aback though, by his response.

"Miss Caroline, I know what you are trying to do and it will not work. Throughout the years, I've learned to avoid as much compulsion as I can with or without vervain. Do not worry, everything will be revealed in due time. Sometimes you have to just let go, and trust."

Caroline blushed. She didn't realize he was on vervain or the fact that he knew she was a vampire. There was definitely much she didn't know and that thought made her shiver. She was never one to go into battle without a plan let alone in a totally different country.

"Are you okay madam?"

Instead about being worried about herself, she felt drawn to make sure Thomas had been taken care of. "Yes. But are you? Has he been treating you well?"

"Madam, if I have been able to live this long I think it shouldn't be a question anymore. I have been treated well. I respect Sir and he respects me. That's all there is to know."

"But Thomas, trust is to be earned. You don't know half the things he's done to me and in Mystic Falls. If you did, you yourself would doubt and it would be difficult for you to just simply let go."

Thomas thought for a moment before responding. "Yes, I only know some of Sir's business in Mystic Falls and I know he has done a lot of wrong in his life. No one said that trusting and letting go would be easy. But the fact that you are here must mean that there is a possibility, some hope you see in him. Hold on to that."

"You trust yourself and that is why you are here. We've always been told to follow our heart, to stick with our gut as you Americans say, even though we do not know where this may lead us."

Caroline knew that Thomas had a point. She trusted that gut feeling, and that is why she got on the plane in the first place. But was that enough to continue on this crazy journey? Didn't she have the right to question or at least find out bits and pieces about what was to come?

"Thank you Tom. Can I call you Tom instead? You've got a lot of wisdom in you and because of that I might just consider staying. And please, call me Caroline."

"Miss Caroline it is."

He got into the driver seat, smiled as he looked into the rear view mirror.

Caroline smiled back and in a matter of minutes they were off.

* * *

"It's one thing to own a Rolls Royce, but this? This is too much." Caroline proclaimed as she stared at the mansion sitting in front of her.

She expected to be brought to a hotel or a townhouse of some sort, but once again was taken aback when they drove up to this Victorian mansion. She refused to get out of the car at first, but then Thomas sweetly lent a hand to her out to her and she couldn't refuse. She stepped out of the car and her mouth instantly hung open as a butler opened the front doors.

As much as the outside was beautiful in its antiquity, the inside was a treasure trove. They moved from one room to the other and Caroline couldn't help but admire everything that she was seeing. It seemed to get better and better. The hallway was filled with antiques from all over the world. There was a replica of the Eiffel tower on one end, and the Statue of Liberty on the other. The dining room had a large table that could seat around 20, and a huge diamond chandelier that hung overhead. The living room had a library and a huge comfortable sofa, with a fireplace on one side of the room. As Caroline approached she saw that love letters were hanging on top. She wondered whom they were for or from. But what Caroline loved the most were the paintings, which every room seemed to have. Most of them were sceneries, glimpses of old New York and the streets of Italy, and it made her feel like she was actually there.

Instead of touring the rest of the first floor, Caroline opted to be shown her room instead. They were moving at a slow pace because of Thomas, and she wasn't used to that, being a vampire and all. It actually tired her out holding back her speed and moving at the glacial pace.

As they headed up to the second floor and seeing how expansive that was, Caroline thought that she could actually get lost here. "I get it you're rich," she muttered, to no one in particular.

"Yes madam?" Thomas asked.

Old age didn't seem to damage his hearing too much and Caroline smiled to hide her embarrassment. "Oh nothing Tom. It's a lot to take in, but I'm thankful for being here."

As they passed the hallway to her room, instead of finding landscape paintings, there were portraits of the Mikaelsons. There was Finn with his hair pulled back, Kohl and his charming laugh, Elijah and his serious look, and Rebekah, the wind blowing her hair – a beautiful candid shot of her like a photograph where she was caught off guard.

At last they stopped in front of a white door, which Thomas immediately opened. With a clap of his hands, the room lit up and Caroline was almost brought to tears. It reminded her of her cozy bedroom in Mystic Falls but a lot more grandeur. There was a full-length mirror on one side of the room, with a vanity and a wardrobe. On the other there was a bookshelf, a fireplace, and a cream colored sofa. There was a flat screen directly facing the four-poster bed. Somehow Caroline thought that all this was meant for her alone, and even if the thought may not actually be the truth, she was lucky and humbled.

"Would this be alright, Miss Caroline?"

She nodded immediately. "Thanks Tom."

"You're welcome Miss Caroline. If you need anything else, you can ring the bell on your bedside table. A ladies maid will come up to assist you." He bowed before leaving the room.

Caroline felt like royalty in this place, and everything seemed to be wonderful so far. It felt like a dream that she wished she would never wake up from. A part of her was relieved, touched even by all this preparation done for her, but she also couldn't shake the feeling that this was temporary and that something bad was bound to happen. She was now finding it hard to keep her walls up and her guard at all times that she could only hope that the rug wouldn't be tugged out from underneath her so quickly and without warning. Not now and hopefully not ever.

As she walked over to the bed, she found an envelope on top with her name written in beautiful calligraphy, just like the one that was handed to her back in Paris. She quickly tore it open and found a drawing of the Big Ben and a double decker bus on the road in front of it.

_The adventure begins today_, it read.

She didn't know exactly what adventure Klaus was pertaining to, but she couldn't wait to find out. She took a quick shower and changed into a loose tank, a pair of skinny jeans and her knee high black boots. She applied some mascara and her favorite nude lipstick, grabbed her aviator shades and her purse before heading out the door. As soon as she made it out of the main entrance she was no longer surprised to find Thomas waiting there for her and another man, much younger then he was, standing nearby.

"Miss Caroline, this is James. He will be taking you around the city. I wouldn't want to be a burden on you while you see what London has to offer. I don't think at my age I can keep up anymore. My apologies."

He bowed. Caroline immediately went over and hugged him. "You won't burden me Tom. You can come if you want I don't mind at all!"

Thomas gave her a slight pat on the back and she immediately let go. He was surprised at her sudden burst of affection. "It's alright Miss Caroline, I think I shall stay here instead."

"Suit yourself. So, how are we going to explore London, James? On foot?" she turned around to speak with the other man but found that he was already seated in the passenger seat of an Alfa Romeo.

"You've got to be kidding me. Seriously, I get to drive an Alfa Romeo? Wait, you don't have to answer that."

Caroline clapped her hands giddily. She quickly slipped into the driver's seat and in seconds they were off.

* * *

Caroline parked their car near Buckingham Palace, the first stop according to James' itinerary. They were given a private tour, and although they weren't able to meet neither the queen, nor Prince William or the Duchess of Cambridge, Caroline was more than happy to have actually set foot there.

Instead of taking the car again afterwards, they rode on the second floor of a double decker bus and enjoyed seeing the streets of London. She took a picture with the Big Ben and it was just as beautiful as the sketch Klaus had made. She enjoyed the London Eye and saw just how picturesque the city was from high up.

It almost felt like she was flying and Caroline enjoyed every minute of it. She couldn't remember the last time she had smiled this much in her life, and slowly her walls began to go down. She didn't know if it was the city or just the way she had been treated the whole day, but Caroline let go of all her worries and just trusted her instincts. Her walls were still there and she knew she hadn't given up the idea that this may all be a sham just yet, and knowing that alone was good and safe enough in her reckoning.

By late afternoon Caroline realized she hadn't eaten the whole day and her stomach was growling. James seemed to notice her discomfort and led her to one of the English pubs in a hurry. If there was anything that he knew, it was that alcohol would somehow weaken the urge for blood and he hoped that it would work for Caroline, at least till they made it back to the mansion.

They each drank 3 mugs apiece, and had some shots as well. There was a football game on television and whenever the English team attempted to make a goal, Caroline was offered a shot. She was having such a great time that she didn't refuse. Pretty soon, Caroline's head was spinning and she knew she had to get home. Her urge was somehow sated for the moment, but she didn't want to get drunk and end up killing someone when the urge came back again.

James was quick to understand and they made their way out of the pub. Caroline grabbed hold of his hand and almost immediately they were back to where the car was parked. James then drove them back to the mansion as fast as they could, trying to keep Caroline awake as much as he could.

As soon as they reached the mansion, Thomas was already there waiting. Caroline couldn't quite get her footing straight. She was dizzier than she had realized, and she didn't know why but that made her laugh.

"Tommmmmmmmmmm. Look at me! You were right about having an adventure here in London, I'm having the time of my lifeeeeeee!"

Thomas couldn't help but chuckle at her current situation. "Miss Caroline, are you alright?"

Caroline imitated him as James carried her up the stairs and through the main door. "Miss Caroline, are you alright? Of course, Sir Thomas, Miss Caroline is well!" she said in a smooth British accent. "But she is quite piss drunk. Or wait. Miss Caroline is sotted I tell you. Sotted." Caroline referred to herself in the third person and James had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing.

"You there, I say put me down. This lady must handle herself. This is not at all proper" Caroline continued, still with her best British accent imitation. James put her down and in took her a few minutes to steady herself.

"Are you sure you're alright Miss Caroline?" Thomas asked again.

Caroline waved a finger in his face and smiled. "But of course. You said a lot about trust Sir Thomas. Trust me when I say then that I may be sotted but I am in tip-top shape"

She then grabbed hold of the bannister and made her way to the second floor. She trudged slowly to her room without realizing she was going at the same pace as Thomas, who was following her closely behind.

It took her quite some time to find her room, but when she did, Caroline was relieved. She wasn't THAT tipsy after all. She could still recognize where she was going. She quickly made her way inside and closed the door behind her. But because of her current condition, she could feel a headache coming on, not just because of the alcohol, but also because of all the thoughts it brought. She immediately went over to the bed and lay down on it.

Because she couldn't filter out anything and couldn't just think what she _wanted_ to think, she was soon filled with the memories of the dreams she had of Klaus, the dreams where he was honest and good to her—the dreams where they made love and where he would hold her in his arms throughout the night. She thought about the night he saved her for the first time, the afternoon in the school where Alaric was about to kill her and he had saved her. She remembered their talk before, the way she had distracted him so and how much she seemed to regret it. Finally she remembered the night where he had saved her for the second time, and when their lips almost touched.

Unexpected tears fell from her eyes, and somehow that seemed to awaken Caroline from her stupor. All this time she had been confused, but now everything was coming to her with such a force that she couldn't help but cry. How could Klaus be two people at the same time? Who was he really? Was this all make-believe? Was this side of him, the side that was good and honest and beautiful all just her imagination?

Caroline realized that as much as she tried to suppress those feelings, in her drunken stupor her true colors and feelings had shown. Even though everything he had done begged otherwise, Caroline still trusted that there was a part of Klaus that was still pure – that could be saved. It may be all in her imagination, but it was a hope she was willing to hold on to, a gut feeling she could never remove even if she tried.

The fact of the matter was, and in her drunken state she had now realized, that she was not actually confused but afraid. She was scared that she believed in him too much, believed he had a good side and that eventually this would turn on her. She already knew what side she was on, but feared that she might have crossed the line too soon. She was ultimately afraid of the way he made her feel.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Caroline was brought back to earth from her thoughts. She still felt dizzy because of the alcohol, but she wiped away her tears and sat up. She pushed herself to open the door.

Her heart pounding, she expected Klaus to be standing right in front of her but instead it was poor old Thomas, with a worried look on his face. "Thomas, don't worry I'm okay. I apologize for earlier. I just need a bit of rest" Caroline rambled.

She closed the door before he could even respond.

As she leaned against the closed door she tried to calm herself down and catch her breath. This was all too much too fast. Her thoughts were once again interrupted when insistent knocking came from the other side.

She didn't know how to explain everything to Thomas, but she decided she would just have to tell him to leave her alone in the nicest way possible—at least, until the dizziness stopped.

She quickly opened the door, but was unprepared for what or better yet, who was in front of her. It was Klaus Mickaelson in the flesh, dressed in a white shirt, jeans and his signature black boots.

"Caroline" he said firmly, his hands folded across his chest.

Caroline stared in shocked. Her stomach was in knots. She was not expecting to see this man, not with all the thoughts she was having moments ago. He was angry with her, and she couldn't understand why. But that wasn't the scariest part. Her heart was pounding in her chest just as much as her head was throbbing.

Before she could say anything witty in response, she keeled over and threw up. The next thing she knew, all was lost.


	9. Now You See Me, Now You Dont

**Chapter 9 – Now You See Me, Now You Don't**

_Ripppppp_

Caroline wakes up to the sound of paper being torn from beside her followed by an exasperated sigh. She felt like she had an elephant sitting on her head. Did she have that much to drink? She couldn't remember. What she did remember was that she returned to the mansion safe, that she managed to get to her room and open the door for Thomas. She saw Klaus Mickaelson and then what?

Wait, back up for a second, she thought, she actually saw Klaus Mickaelson in the flesh! At that very moment it seemed like Caroline had been truly awakened from her slumber. She remembered how she struggled to find the right words to say to him, but ended up passing out right in front of him. How embarrassing.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard another paper being torn and tossed across the room. She was lying sideways on the bed, and knew if she opened her eyes, she could see who it was. But should she risk it?

Caroline opened one eye slightly to peek at who was seated right beside her on the bed and wasn't surprised when she found Klaus Mickaelson, dressed in the same clothes as the first time she had saw him this day. He was holding a sketchpad in one hand and a pencil in the other. He looked quite concentrated on what he was doing. Caroline tried to shift her gaze to the sketch he was working on but Klaus must have sensed someone staring at him that he looked over to her.

She quickly shut her eyes all over again, hoping that he didn't notice she was awake. Seconds later, she knew she couldn't pretend anymore. She was afraid for her safety, but more importantly curious why he had brought her here and what his plan was. She was about to confront him, and opened her eyes, only to find the window slightly ajar and no Klaus Mickaelson beside her.

She quickly sat up, which she knew she shouldn't have done. The room began to spin and it was difficult for her to focus. As she held her head in her hands, she kicked off the covers. She looked left and right, but didn't find any evidence of Klaus ever being in her room. No torn papers, no sketchpad – nothing. Was it all just her imagination or had he actually stayed beside her throughout the night?

She clapped her hands and all the remaining lamps in the room lit up. It was still nighttime, midnight perhaps, she wasn't sure. She took another look around, but it seemed like nothing had changed since she was last here. Klaus Mickaelson was nowhere to be found.

Caroline grabbed the nearest pillow and screamed into it. This was just too much for her to handle. Klaus seemed to be everywhere and try as she might, she couldn't block him out. There was something terribly wrong with her – had she let him in that much that she couldn't send him away? Why was it that she wanted to see him so much it hurt?

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Caroline dropped the pillow she was holding and quickly made her way over. She brushed back the hair that was falling in her eyes and tried to fix her pajamas. Wait, how did she get into them in the first place? Had Klaus? She didn't want to know.

Before the person outside could knock again, Caroline opened the door. Standing right in front of her was Thomas. But she knew better.

"Madam, I"

Caroline smiled kindly to Thomas, but quickly turned around and walked back into the room. "Klaus, stop making poor old Tom go up and down the stairs just to knock on the door. If you want to talk to me, just do so yourself. I didn't know you could be so cowardly."

She knew what she said was bold, and out of character on her part, but she couldn't back down. Not to Klaus, not when she wasn't so sure of anything—he didn't need to know that. He needed to know Caroline the confident, independent, vampire warrior that would not give up without a fight, not the weakling who seemed to no longer be in control of her feelings.

Caroline sat on the edge of the bed and looked up to the doorway once more. Thomas was no longer standing right in front of her, but Klaus Mickaelson. His hands were crossed and he had a serious look written all over his face. She couldn't tell if he was mad at her, but she knew he was mad at something.

"Are you going to let me in love?"

Caroline stood. "This is your house. Let yourself in. Like you haven't already."

Klaus unfolded his arms and instead put them behind his back. He sighed, but still didn't budge and instead, leaned against the doorway.

"That much is true sweetheart. I can choose to enter wherever I want whenever I would like to. But I am a gentleman and a gentleman would ask a lady first if he could enter her bedroom."

Now it was her turn to sigh. She looked at him incredulously. "You didn't ask me earlier, so why are you asking me now? And besides, this isn't my bedroom. I couldn't care less if –"

Caroline couldn't finish her sentence as Klaus had covered her mouth with his palm. He stood inches away from her and smiled haughtily. "You've always had much to say Caroline, when the answer is simple. Yes or no. And I guess you meant to say – yes. Like you said yes to Paris, yes to London, yes—Y-E-S."

Ego wounded and anger rising in her blood from his presumptions and rude attitude, Caroline quickly grabs his arm, twists it and somehow pushes him out the door with a great force. "Some gentleman you are," she cries, although she knew that what he had said earlier was actually the truth.

He brushes himself off, surprised at her actions, but doesn't bother to retaliate. He just stands in the doorway, smiling. "Seems like someone's in a foul mood. Oh wait, what was it you were saying a few minutes ago – Klaus, save me. Klaus!"

Caroline could feel her blood temperature rising even faster. Had she talked in her sleep or was he making the whole thing up? Either way, she was angry with him, and angrier with herself for letting him get to her this much. She walked over to him and shoved him against the wall.

"Don't even think for a second that I'd ever ask for your help."

She wanted to choke him right then and there but did otherwise. She knew Klaus was stronger than her, and that he was actually_ letting_ her choke him. She didn't want to end his life this way. Should she choose to, it would have to be a fair fight. It was not as if Klaus could die from choking anyway.

When Caroline lets go of him, she runs her hand through her head and looks him in the eye. "Klaus, I know you have a plan, now tell me – what is it? If you wanted to kill me you could have done so a long time ago, so right now I'm saving you all the extra effort you need to put in. Tell me your plan, we fight to the death, I probably lose this one, and you live happily ever after."

In one swift motion, Klaus grabs Caroline and pins her against the wall, one hand holding his weight as he stands inches from her face and the other holding her waist. "How many times do I have to tell you that I have no plans of killing you? And second of all, never doubt your strength. You have thrown up practically everything in that body of yours but here you are, tossing me across the room like a piece of paper and attempting to choke me."

Caroline looked up to him, stunned silent.

"My plan, is no plan"

Caroline hadn't realized that from his eyes, her gaze had traveled to his lips. She could see the curvature of his jaw, his dimples and the roughness of his stubble. Was it just she or did the room just get a lot warmer?

"Caroline"

She snapped out of her thoughts and pushed him away, breaking free from his hold. "You're lying. As always, Klaus Mickaelson does not reveal his master plan until it is set in motion. So elaborate, so complicated, so – useless?"

She walks away from him and heads down the hall, making her way to the entrance. What was she thinking? Klaus would never answer her questions. This was all a big mistake. She didn't need him, she certainly didn't want him and there was certainly NOTHING going on between them. Not when he could be such a pompous know-it-all arse. She was angry with him. That was why she couldn't stop thinking about him. Anger. That was all, nothing more nothing less.

"Where are you going Caroline? It is freezing outside, you do realize that." She continued to walk anyway. What would Klaus know and why would he care?

Suddenly, she felt a hand grab her arm. "Caroline, listen to me."

Caroline turned to him irately. "No you listen to me. This was a big mistake. Leave me alone!"

She pushes him away from her, but with his hand still holding on to her other arm, the two of them tumble down the stairs. Klaus instinctively wraps his arm around her to cushion most of their fall, until they land at the end of the staircase with Caroline lying on top of Klaus. They look intently into each other's eyes and for a second, the whole world seems to stop.

"Ehem." Thomas coughs, ruining the moment. Klaus looks to him straight in the eye and shouts. "Mind your own business. Leave Thomas. Run."

Compelled, Thomas turns and quickly leaves the room. Klaus looks to Caroline once again, but instead of returning to the haze they were in about a minute ago, or so he thought, Caroline slaps him. Stunned, he stays glued to the ground.

On the other hand, Caroline is on her feet and turning the knob of the front door. She was a vampire, why did it take so long for her to get out of the house? And what was Klaus trying to do? She found herself second-guessing her actions when Klaus suddenly steps in front of her, leaning against the front door and blocking Caroline's way.

He rubbed his jaw with his hand. "You have insulted me, choked me, pushed me down the stairs and slapped me. I think that's enough."

"Honestly, you think that's enough? For everything you have done? You must be out of your mind."

"Enlighten me Caroline. You ask me what my plan is, insist that I am trying to kill you when it seems like you're the one planning to kill me. Is that why you are here? Do you want to hurt me? Go ahead, I've had enough of this nonsense." He challenged.

He lifted both his hands in surrender.

When the tables were turned, Caroline didn't know what to think anymore. Instead of getting answers, she felt more confused than ever.

"I wasn't trying to kill you. Death would be too kind. Hurt you, yes. Someday you will pay for everything, but today isn't that day. All of this was a mistake." She explained, surprised at her calm tone of voice.

"Then why did you slap me?" he asked.

She didn't want him to know she was just surprised at their intimacy and the way it made her feel. "Thomas. He didn't deserve such unkindness. He is old, but not deaf. And he shouldn't be compelled when he lives to serve you." she said in a hurry.

"Well I was frustrated. In fact I'm frustrated by a lot of things right now Caroline and I don't think you want to know what they are." Klaus looked just as confused as she was, but a whole lot angrier.

She tried to open the door, but Klaus closed it shut once again. "Caroline, you got yourself drunk and drained out everything from your body in the past hour. You must eat something and then leave if you want to."

Caroline laughed sarcastically. "You, Klaus Mickaelson, would just let me leave? Since when do you care if I make it out alive or not." Suddenly Caroline remembered the night he had saved her for the second time, and how he promised that if she would let him save her, he would leave them all alone. Even though he had somehow broken that promise by bringing her here, was he staying true to his word?

"Yes, I promise I will let you leave." He grabbed a weapon from his pocket – it was a smaller piece of the white oak stake that Alaric had shoved into his heart once before. Klaus handed it to her.

She let go of the doorknob and instead of taking the white oak stake from him; she put her hands behind her back "I'd rather not have anything from you, thank you very much."

Klaus was surprised by her confidence and fearlessness. He returned the weapon in his back pocket and smiled. "Suit yourself. But please, just get dressed and meet me here. We are getting something to eat."

Caroline didn't like being told what to do, but knew she didn't really have a choice in the matter. She could have just left right then and there, but what would that have done for her? She would have frozen in the cold in her pajamas without any answers and a confused heart. The whole trip would have been made for nothing. And she wouldn't allow that. She would play this game with Klaus, and figure out this mess as if her life depended on it, which it did.

Without answering him, she trudged up the stairs and quickly made her way back into her room, locking the door behind her. She went over to her bag and tried to find something appropriate to wear for the midnight snack, but realized that she didn't know where they were going. She hadn't tried opening the dresser ever since she set foot in the room, but maybe it would give her an idea what to wear for the evening, or how people usually dressed in Europe. She opened the closet doors to find dress after dress, from sparkly gowns to short mini-dresses. Taped to one of them was a note that said, "Caroline, you would look lovely in this". It was a black glittery bondage dress.

Caroline thought she would throw up again. What was Klaus thinking – that he could control her every move? That he thought he knew better? Why, of course not. Caroline slammed the doors shut and went back to her clothes, which were now in a messed up pile. She grabbed the piece she was looking for and hurriedly put it on, before she could think better of it. It was also a black glittery bondage dress, but this time it had a huge diamond cutout, which exposed most of her backside. It was daring, and she never thought she would find the occasion to wear it, but if Klaus thought he knew better, Caroline was one step ahead of him.

She put on some smoky eye make-up and fixed her hair. Afterwards, when she looked in the mirror, she couldn't even recognize herself. She couldn't believe she could transform into a totally different person, a vixen. Elena and Bonnie would be proud.

It was like the heavens heard her because suddenly she heard a vibration coming from her purse pocket. She wasn't able to answer the call and found that she already had more than 20 missed calls. Some were from her mother, others from Elena but mostly from Tyler.

She sent a quick text message to her mother and a picture of her with the Big Ben, saying that she was all right, that she was having a good time and that she would tell her everything as soon as she returned in Mystic Falls. She tried to figure out what to say to Tyler when suddenly her phone rang again.

"Finally, someone decided to pick up."

It was Stefan.

"Stefan, I'm sorry. I've just been—"

"Caught up, I get it. You don't have to explain. When you're a vampire it seems like you lose all your sense of time. But Caroline, you promised you would call. Or at least send us a few messages every now and then. I may not be your father but I promised I would take care of you. And I worry."

Caroline felt tears come to her eyes but she didn't want to ruin her make-up. "Stefan, listen. You're a great friend and all but you don't have to worry about me. I'm completely fine. Trust me."

"That's what I've been trying to tell him but he doesn't seem to listen"

It was Elena now.

"Hi Elena. How are you? How's?"

"Me, Bonnie, you're other best friend that you DID NOT invite to Europe? I'm fine and bored here thank you very much. I can't believe you blocked my tracking signal though. How did you do it? Are you with a werewolf? Oh wait, stupid question…I"

"Bonnie! I miss you both. There's a lot to see in Europe! Next time, the three of us are definitely going on a backpacking trip!"

Elena squealed. "I can't wait!"

"Tyler, stop… she doesn't. Bye Caroline."

"Bonnie?" Caroline asked worriedly.

"CAROLINE WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU AND WHY DON'T YOU TELL ANYONE WHERE YOU ARE?" Tyler said insistently into the receiver.

"I guess this is my cue to leave. Bye Caroline." Elena cut the other line.

Caroline was quiet.

Tyler sighed. "Caroline, baby, I know we fought and I know you do not want to talk to me. But I'm worried about you. Can you please just come home where we can protect you?"

Caroline looked into the mirror, realizing that she hadn't missed Tyler, nor had she dressed this nice for him ever before. Why hadn't she thought of him while she was in Europe? There was too much going on. That must be it. She needed to sort this out in order to sort out her feelings for Tyler.

"I have to go. I'm safe Tyler. Trust me, you don't have to worry. But right now, I have to go"

"Caroline—I "

She cut him off before he could say another word. She turned off her cellphone and tucked it back into her purse. She dabbed a little more blush to cover up the flushed look she had on her face and in a matter of seconds she was in her black wedges and out the door.

She stood by the entrance of the mansion; waiting for Klaus to show up, when suddenly there was a honk from outside. She opened the door and found a silver BMW parked out front. Some gentleman Klaus was turning out to be, she thought.

She walked over to the passengers' side and slipped in. She was about to comment about his lack of gentlemanly character when the driver suddenly said, "I apologize madam if I simply honked. It would have taken me much longer to get to the door and help you to the car. I didn't want to keep you waiting."

It was Thomas.

"Tom!" She pulled him in for a hug. "I heard about the slap earlier. You didn't have to Miss Caroline."

Caroline forgot all about it. "He told you? Well Klaus deserved it. He didn't need to compel you. He does this to everyone and I'm sick of it. Aren't you? Doesn't it make you angry?"

Thomas smiled as he slowly pulled out of the driveway. "I wouldn't say I love being bossed around, but I know deep down he doesn't mean to hurt me."

"You trust him. After all that he has done?"

"Are we back to that Miss Caroline? Let's just enjoy tonight okay. You look famished. We better get you to the restaurant as soon as we can."

They were driving at 40 miles per hour and Caroline couldn't help but smile. She loved how Tom was so – human. It felt like she was just Caroline Forbes all over again, not Caroline Forbes, vampire.

It took them about 20 minutes to arrive to their destination, and as Caroline looked out the window, she was surprised to find herself back at the mansion?

"Tom, did we forget anything? Why are we back at the mansion?"

Thomas didn't answer her question. He just brought the car back into the driveway and parked. "Off you go Miss Caroline. Try to have a good time alright?"

Caroline pulled him in for another hug. Despite all the anger she felt towards Klaus and how bad she felt for lying to her mom, Elena, Stefan, Bonnie and Tyler she decided that she needed this to find the answers to all her confusion. It was a risk she was willing to take, even if it would kill her. She was actually more afraid of the answers she'd find than death.

"Thank you Tom." She headed back into the mansion. As soon as she closed the front door behind her, all the lights turned off. She backed up against the door instinctively, but she couldn't open it. She was about to tear it down when suddenly, one by one, candles lit the hallway. It seemed to form a path in front of her. Caroline followed the light, which eventually led her to the gardens.

The second she stepped onto the grass, the whole garden lit up with Christmas lights, and in the middle of it was a table with two cloches. Caroline didn't know why heart was thumping so hard in her chest, but it did. What was this all about? A million different emotions were coursing through her—surprise, anger, sadness, and was that, happiness?

In a blink of an eye, Klaus appeared in front of her, dressed in the same thing he was wearing earlier. He extended a hand out towards her and smiled. Caroline walked over to him but didn't take his hand. Instead she made her way past him and over to one of the chairs. She sat down with her hands crossed against her chest.

Rejected, Klaus put his hands behind his back and made his way over to the other chair. He poured some wine into both their glasses before taking a seat. He crossed his legs and relaxed, leaning against the chair comfortably.

"Before you say anything, wine?" he asked, pointing to her glass.

Caroline gulped the whole thing down and smirked. "May I speak now, or would you like me to have some more of your poisonous wine?" She expected her glass to be spiked with a little vervain or something, but when it didn't burn, she regretted her statement.

"How dare you insult age old wine? Well you're excused. I wouldn't trust _me_ if I were in your place anyway."

"It's good that you know then. So, Klaus, care to explain what all this is about?" she began, pointing at all the Christmas lights. "It doesn't seem to be your style to go through so much effort to kill someone. I don't want pretty lights when you decide to kill me."

Klaus frowned. The lines on his forehead seemed to increase. "Caroline, sweetheart, can you please stop insisting that I am trying to kill you? I'm not."

"Oh yes" Caroline mimicked "My plan is no plan"

Klaus put his glass down and crossed his arms, holding back his anger. "Well whether or not you believe me, I promised to feed you. So, have at it. Then we can stop this useless banter and you can leave as you please."

This conversation seemed to be going nowhere, Caroline realized. But she really was hungry. She opened the cloche to find a big plate of spaghetti. Only when she took a forkful did she realize it was fresh blood spaghetti. She dropped her fork.

"I didn't kill anyone, if you were about to ask. Though I wanted to, I didn't."

Caroline didn't bother asking why he didn't. She devoured the spaghetti like it was her last meal, and when she was finished, she gulped down another glass of wine.

"Now there's my Caroline. The light has come back in your eyes."

Although she felt her heart jump at his words, Caroline bit her lip. "Don't you dare call me yours."

He smiled. "No arguments there. Hmmm so how are you finding London so far? I'm just asking, trying to make conversation and hoping this is a safe topic, I wouldn't want you slapping me again. Or wait, puking all over the garden… I've never seen a woman so drunk in my household and I don't think I want a repeat."

Caroline doesn't answer him.

"So are you now giving me the silent treatment?" Klaus asks.

"I don't want my words to be taken against me. You have a plan and this is all part of it, and I'm going to figure it out, with or without you."

"Caroline, I am not trying to do anything. It's that simple."

She cocked her head to one side. "So why am I here? Why did you bring me here?"

His face turned serious and the question seemed to put him on the edge. She didn't know if he was angry with her or with himself. It was hard to read him at that very moment.

"Now that's the Klaus I recognize. Mean Klaus, Angry Klaus, I am the Alpha Male Klaus."

"I think the better question is, Caroline, why did you come? Who says I brought you here?"

He had a point. This conversation was really going nowhere. Caroline didn't even know the answer to that question. Caroline realized it was easier when they were at each others throats instead of figuring out how to respond to serious questions.

"Can we kill each other again?" Caroline asked, standing up.

"Though on a regular occasion I'd say, let's have at it. But no, can we not kill each other? Not in that dress, which by the way, looks absolutely beautiful on you. Anything looks beautiful on you."

She blushed. "Doesn't mean I can't hit you."

"Doesn't mean I don't expect to be hit anyway"

For some reason, the crazy banter and exchange of words made both of them laugh. Caroline forgot all about trying to weasel out his plan from him and surprisingly, the heavy heart she had been holding on to for so long had eased up. Why was it that whenever she was with Klaus, the ache and confusion seemed to go away? Was that even possible?

Before she could say anything, Klaus grabbed hold of her hand and led her back into the house and up the staircase. "Klaus, where are we going?"

"You can kick my ass later, but right now, we might miss it, we have to hurry!"

"Miss what? It's 3 in the morning."

Klaus didn't answer. Caroline didn't push his hand away either. She hated him, but didn't let him go. In a matter of seconds, they were side-by-side sitting on the roof. He had let go of her hand then.

"Are you suicidal, is this it?" Caroline asked jokingly.

He shook his head. He lay down comfortably with his hand behind his head and motioned for Caroline to lay on his chest. The tiling on the roof was quite rough and Caroline didn't want to ruin the look she worked so hard on. It was only for a few minutes. That wouldn't hurt, right?

She positioned herself with her head against his stomach instead, like a right angle.

"What are we doing?" Caroline asked once more.

"Stop asking so many questions love. Just wait."

Seconds after, fireworks began to shoot across the sky, filling it with light. Caroline had never seen anything so beautiful at night before. Most of them looked like falling stars, shining so brightly so quickly and then slowly fading away into darkness only to be replaced by another shooting star. Red, green, blue, white- it seemed like a rainbow shining in the dark. Caroline didn't bother asking where they were coming from, or what the occasion was. She was just glad to have been able to witness such a spectacle. As firework after firework basked the night sky with its light, to Caroline it seemed as if the light was moving closer and closer. At one point she even reached up, pretending to catch the falling stars.

She couldn't help but smile. She also hadn't realized that she was now lying on Klaus' chest and his arm was wrapped around her. She must have shivered in the cold with what she was wearing and Klaus was the only source of warmth. Not that a vampire got cold or anything, but that must have been the reason why.

Klaus turned to look at Caroline who still seemed dazed with all the fireworks. She must have felt him staring because she looked into his eyes as well. Both felt drawn to each other even if they tried, as much as they could, to resist it. Caroline knew she hated him. She did. She was angry with him. She wanted to scream at him for the frustrations he brought on. But right now, right at this very moment, everything seemed so clear. She was drawn in. She had let him in.

Caroline turned to her side and stared into his eyes. She thought she saw a lot of anger in him, a lot of selfishness and pride, but as she looked this time, all she could see was sorrow, and longing. She blinked and still she saw the exact same thing. Just like the night he had saved her for the second time

She leaned in closer. He seemed to do the same, but a second before their lips touched, she felt a stabbing pain in her backside. She could smell the scent of blood instantly – her blood. And as she searched for those deep blue eyes once more, tears fell from her eyes. He was no longer there. It was then that she gave herself to the darkness and all was lost once again.


	10. Death Would Be Too Kind

**Chapter 10 – Death Would Be Too Kind**

The instant their lips met, she was cast into darkness.

At least that's as far as Caroline could remember. "Klaus" she whispered, her senses quite disoriented by the kiss, or so she thought. It must have been the pitch black of the night. She could barely see anything and it drove her over the edge. There was no response.

"Niklaus" she called once more, this time more of a battle cry than a plea. She shuffled to her feet in a hurry. Still, there was nothing but silence.

It shook her to the core. She was no longer standing on the roof. In fact, she practically had no idea where she was or how she had gotten there. She tried to move forward, to search for some light at the end of the tunnel but it seemed as if she was stuck in a labyrinth. It was a never-ending path of darkness, save for the soft glow that seemed to come from…her? A sense of panic rose within. Her walk turned into a run, but even at vampire speed, she knew she was somehow only running in circles.

Where had the light gone?

"Caroline" a faint voice cried, a voice all too familiar for her to forget.

It was barely audible and yet she found herself running in the direction where it seemed to be coming from. "Where are you?" she shouted, hoping for a response of some kind.

"Caroline" he said once more, his voice hardly a whisper now, a benediction.

She didn't stop running. Caroline continued to work her way through the darkness, her heart pounding in her chest. The more footsteps she took, the closer she felt to him, like there was some kind of gravity pulling them together. She would find him.

Seconds later she noticed a soft glow, the small flickering light from a candle up and she quickly made her way towards it. She must have been distracted by its glow that in her haste, she tripped over something. When she looked, she realized it was actually _someone –_ Jenna.

"Aunt Jenna?" she said, surprised that she could see her face even in the dark. Caroline helped her to her feet. But hadn't Klaus killed her before when he was trying to break the ritual? Why was she still here—alive? Caroline touched her, felt the warmth of her skin, which meant she couldn't be a ghost. Unless… Unless, Caroline was dead as well.

A sense of vigilance washed over Caroline. She quickly patted her clothes, searched for bloodstains or bruises, yet she found nothing, not even a scratch. Where was she?

Aunt Jenna didn't say a word at first, but as soon as Caroline pulled her in for a hug, the former had tears falling from her eyes. Caroline held on to her even tighter. She would know where the light was, right? Instead though, Jenna encouraged "Caroline, go. You need to go. Save him."

Jenna was now pushing her away. "What?" Caroline asked, letting go of her. But as soon as she did, it was like Aunt Jenna had disappeared into thin air. She was nowhere to be found and Caroline was left alone again.

Caroline turned to where she originally saw the flicker of light, her only hope, and found that it was still sitting where it was before. She headed over to it. She kept on running and running, but it seemed to be further than she realized, a mirage of some sort. To top it all off, the rain suddenly poured, obscuring her view. And it was not ordinary rain she had to deal with- no; it was raining blood.

Yet nothing could stop Caroline from finding him. The pull was just too strong that Caroline felt she'd eventually lose her own light if she didn't find him. At that moment, as she continued to trudge through the bloody rain and the thought of ghost Jenna, she knew she was either dead or somewhere in between. She looked from left to right, trying to carve a path to the light, but wherever she turned, she could see bodies of people, most of which she couldn't recognize. It distracted her, kept her further away. There were hybrids, other vampires, but mostly humans. Where in the world was she?

Tears started to fall from her eyes, but were masked by the bloody rain. It was amazing how the candle still flickered. It never died out. Caroline knew then that she must not give up. She pictured where the light came from, closed her eyes, and ran straight for it without hesitation. When she opened her eyes again, she was standing right in front of a picnic table, the candle sitting right in the middle. She was almost relieved.

She needed him. He was the light she was hoping to find. Caroline waited for Klaus to come for her, to take her in his arms and tell her that everything was okay. But as the minutes past, there was nothing. She came to the light searching for any sign of him, but didn't.

"Where are you?" Caroline whispered, using her hands to wipe away her tears.

The wind suddenly picked up and almost blew out the light from the candle. Caroline quickly grabbed hold of it, and as soon as she touched it the flame seemed to dance, to grow brighter.

"Caroline" a pleased voice said from behind, all too close that she felt her tears fall once more. She had found him after all. As she turned to face the man who called out her name, she dropped the candle in the process. Instinctively, he found his way to her and wrapped his arms around her weights. She didn't know if it was from familiarity or the gravity that drew them together, but their lips touched. In an instant, the rain seized, everyone around them-their cries and whispers disappeared, and the garden was basked in light.

Her light. It didn't make sense at first, and it seemed crazy, but there seemed to be a haze around them that Caroline had unleashed.

"You." Klaus said softly, touching her nose with his fingertip, smiling.

Caroline had never seen him smile like this. At that very moment, everything was suddenly clear. She was in Klaus' darkness – his past, his guilt, and his dishonesty throughout the thousands of years he has lived. She had let him in and because of that, she was thrust into his darkness, tainted by hatred and evil—the life he had lived before her, only a candle flickering as light. But she didn't give up. She searched for him in the darkness and in spite of all the terror and the pain; they had found each other once again. It was because Caroline was not afraid—she stood without fear of the past and of the present.

He had been waiting for her his whole life, although he hadn't realized it. And Caroline, well she was no longer confused, and it could only be because of him, because she had let him in. She was the light—his light, and he was hers.

As Klaus held her in his arms, and hers wrapped around his neck, it was like the perfect ending to an otherwise tragic love story. She couldn't avoid those baby blue eyes and as she stared into them, she felt as if she could drown in him. She probably would, if she had the choice. The light continued to grow around them, until he was slowly fading away from her sight. He grabbed hold of her arms, the ones that were around his neck, and held on to her wrists so tight that she probably bled. She tried to blink the light away, tried as much as she could, but she knew that she herself was somehow slowly slipping away as well, like she was floating.

Caroline couldn't take it any longer. She closed her eyes, surprised that the light still hadn't turned them into dust. She prayed that this time it would be over, but as she opened her eyes for the second time, she was no longer in pure darkness or light – not bliss. It wasn't Klaus holding on to her wrists so tight. Instead, it was a pair of shackles, suspending her from the ceiling. She had woken up to a different kind of darkness-torture.

Once again, Caroline had been blind-sighted by her dreams. She wanted to run away, to cry, but she knew that the first thing she would have to do was to get out of here. She couldn't feel her wrists. The silver shackles covered in vervain were burning through her skin. But she would rather focus on the numbness there. It pained her to think about anything else, her family and friends back in Mystic Falls, but most of all the betrayal of Klaus. She never should have trusted herself with him. It truly was a mistake.

If she survived, she promised to herself quietly, she would stop with the curiosity, the belief in Klaus' honesty and that he would be the solution to all her confusion. Because he could not be any of these things – he never was. She was stupid to think otherwise.

Caroline didn't bother to look for another way out until now. She looked left and right, but her vision seemed to be fuzzy. She was shackled in some kind of torture room, that's as much as she could tell, but she couldn't find the door. As she looked even further down her line of vision, she saw someone lying on a couch in front of a fireplace, skimming through… was that a sketchpad? She hated that everything seemed so disoriented. It couldn't be the alcohol. Didn't it get flushed out of her system already?

She had fallen into a trap, but this time there was no one who could save her. No one knew where she was but… him.

Suddenly, Caroline heard a door slam, and she looked up to try to make out who just came into the room.

"I've been wondering how you've been making your master plans. You've done a lot of research big brother" the figure on the couch suddenly said, raising the sketchbook in his hand.

The person who came through the door tried to grab it, but the other was just too quick. He was now standing next to the fire.

"Don't."

A voice all too recognizable responded. It was Klaus who had just arrived. She didn't need to see him to know he was there.

"Oh brother, and I thought you were the alpha male."

The figure next to the fire threw the sketches into it. Klaus grabbed him by the neck and pinned him to the wall. "Kol, what the hell were you thinking? Someone could have seen you. That wasn't part of the plan."

Kol struggled from his hold but eventually managed to break free, knocking Klaus over and punching him to the ground. "And making out with her was? I did what I had to do– what you had specifically told me to do. I just had to improvise a little when you started getting derailed. It was your plan, and I'm just here to please. Now I want to make fun of you."

Klaus stood and ran straight into Kol, knocking the latter to the ground. Caroline didn't hear what Klaus had said in response, but it didn't matter. Caroline tried to break free again but the burning sensation in her wrists, the new revelations she had had overheard—everything was just too much. As the darkness started to creep up the edges of her vision, she gave into it without another thought.

* * *

She wakes up in her bedroom, tucked beneath the sheets. She doesn't know how she managed to escape, but relieved nonetheless. As she looks up to the ceiling, Caroline takes a deep breath, trying to calm down. She was angry with a lot of people right now especially with herself. She was hurt, tired, distraught and heartbroken. How much more of this could she take? She had given herself up to the darkness more than once in the past 24 hours, and that could only remind her of how weak she had turned into. How could she let it get this far?

As she thought of all the things that led up to this point-the second time Klaus had saved her, the moments on the beach, Paris, London and her dreams, Caroline felt as if her heart had been snatched out of her chest and torn into a thousand pieces. She was more than confused at this point. He had always been playing games with her, and she was just too naïve, to dumb to realize that she kept falling for it. She was trying to distract him before, but he knew better. She should have known that this time wouldn't be any different.

She pushed away the covers to check her wrists, but there was no sign of what she thought had happened. She looked perfectly fine, healthier than most people. She had no physical injuries on her but the pain in her heart was still there, overwhelming and all consuming. Caroline choked back a sob.

She was only brought back to reality when she heard a shuffle from beside her. She turned to her right and was surprised to find Klaus sitting on a chair next to her bed. His head was tipped back, leaning against the backrest, and he was fast asleep. At least, he looked as if he had drifted off.

Caroline kicked back the covers and immediately without even thinking twice about it, wrapped her hands around his neck, choking him. His eyes flew open in an instant and instinctively, he pushes her away and she is thrown to the other end of the room.

Klaus hurries over in the attempt to help her to her feet, but as soon as he gets there, Caroline was already standing on the other side of the room, her stance ready and willing to fight.

"I can't believe you would do this to me. So much for having no plan, Mr. Mickaelson! You deserve an award for being so cruel. I hate you. I hate you so much!" she screamed at him, tears falling from her eyes. She didn't bother to wipe them away. She didn't care.

Klaus attempted to once again make his way over to her, but before he could even lay a finger on Caroline, she knees him in the groin and punches him. He falls to the floor. Caroline knows it isn't over yet. She turns him with her foot so he lays flat on the ground. Then she sits on top of him and punches him again and again. At first, Klaus tries to shield himself, but eventually he lowers his arms to his sides and gives in.

It doesn't seem to faze her. She throws punch after punch, not pausing to stop even for a second. Klaus face turns all black and blue, and although he heals quickly, it came to the point that he could barely open both his eyes.

When that happened, Caroline stopped. She realized he was not fighting back, and it made her hate him even more.

"Fight me dammit." She swore, once again placing her hands around his neck, choking him.

It was then that they locked eyes. As Caroline gazed into his baby blues, she remembered her dream and how she felt like she could drown in him. This time wasn't any different. She did not see anger, hatred or selfishness. Instead, all she could see was a whole lot of pain. Klaus looked at her like someone had died.

But Caroline would not be fooled – not this time. She quickly snapped his neck and he was gone.

She stood, brushed herself off and took a deep breath. This time she felt a lot calmer, her anger disappearing with Klaus' temporary death. She could do this over and over again. She wouldn't kill him permanently – no that would be too kind. She had to make his life a living hell, like he had done with hers. She would find a way, no matter what it took. She was still more confused than ever.

Caroline opened the door to the hallway and leaned against the open frame. She waited for only a few minutes before Klaus woke up again and was on his feet. He made his way towards her the second he opened his eyes and had his arms wrapped around her neck like she did his earlier.

"Is this the game you want to play Caroline?" he asked, "Is it?"

"Am I the one playing games?" she managed to get out.

He released her, grabbed hold of her hands, and shoved the white oak into them. "Kill me already. Do it Caroline. You know you want to. Kill me and you'll be free of the darkness"

It was as if a light had switched on in Caroline's head. She was brought back to the dream, and how she basked Klaus' darkness with light. It was like Klaus was in the dream with her, but this time, he was convincing her to give up on him.

What was this? Why was Caroline psychoanalyzing her own dreams when she was already a second away from freeing herself. She had the white oak in her palm, why couldn't she bring herself to shove it through his heart?

Klaus could see that Caroline was trembling.

He lifted her hands, still holding the white oak in them, and brought it to his heart, so that the pointed end was perfectly aimed. "Do it Caroline," he ordered sternly.

Caroline twisted her hands, and the white oak slowly pierced through his skin. Caroline could see that he was starting to turn cold and weak – his grip on her arms was no longer as strong as it used to be. But instead of driving it through his heart, she broke away from his grip and sent the oak soaring through the air and into another person's heart.

He didn't see it coming. Kol had crept into the room and he thought he went unnoticed. But now as the oak pierced through his heart, he fell to the ground stone cold. She must have been really angry to have perfect aim.

"Why didn't you?" he asked, looking from Kol down to his heart.

"Get out Klaus, " she demanded. He was shocked with what just happened and seemed rooted to the spot. She pushed him out of the door.

"I said, get out!" she screamed. Klaus quickly sped into the room, grabbed Kol's body and put him down in the hallway before Caroline shut the door. He managed to stop it with his foot, which was probably broken now, with the force Caroline used on the door.

He pushed back the door slowly, trying to wedge himself in between. After all, he was stronger than she was, it should have been a piece of cake.

"Klaus. Please. Just get out. I'm tired and I can't do this right now. Kill me tomorrow, you might have the urge to then and things will be a lot easier, wouldn't it?" Caroline insisted, fire flicking in her eyes. Klaus could tell she was holding back tears, but he decided not to say anything about it.

To be perfectly honest, though, Caroline herself didn't even know what she was asking for anymore. She was too numb to feel anything. All she needed right now was to be alone, to catch her breath and think things through. Why she was asking for Klaus' permission, she didn't know.

Caroline was surprised when Klaus loosened his grip on the door and dislodged himself from in between. He was actually going to listen to her. Caroline left the door slightly ajar and watched as Klaus picked up his brother's body and walked away. He didn't say anything. He simply walked away from her without a fight.

Caroline was left all by herself, like she wanted it to be. But how come it suddenly felt like her body weighed a thousand tons more than it should have? How come her heart had just…stopped? Now she knew how it felt like to be truly alone. She quietly shut the door and as Caroline leaned against it she realized she didn't like it one bit—she didn't like it at all.

It was then that she fell to the floor and wept.


	11. Define Crazy

_Hi! If you guys have been following this story, you probably might think I'm a tad bit crazy. And I get you. Sometimes the things I write might not make any sense. But they do to me, especially when I'm writing them. I guess I get caught up in whatever I am feeling that day – be it sentimental or moody or mad at the world. I get carried away in the whirlwind of emotions and I tend to put it all into writing. Certainly we all recognize the confusion of drawing the line between infatuation and love. Whenever I attempt to put myself in Caroline's shoes, it also tends to lead me to the strangest of paths. Well anyway, I just thought you guys should know. I hope I find a remedy for that. And if not, I still hope you guys enjoy reading this story and that in some way you can also relate to Caroline/my emotional whirlwind._

_Now, speaking of Caroline… [read on]_

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Define Crazy**

Minutes felt like hours, and hours, days. Caroline couldn't seem to find the strength to get up from where she was seated. Her head was still resting on the bedroom door, but now her legs were curled, with her knees bent and her arms wrapped tightly around them.

Caroline bit her lip, forcing back her tears. She had been at this for quite some time now, but she didn't seem to be running out of tears. What in the world was wrong with her? From crazy dreams to fighting with Klaus – everything felt so sudden and so unnatural. She must be going out of her mind. How else could she explain the ludicrous dream she had and the way she was feeling right now? She should have been tired, hungry, and sore from what happened – not heartbroken. She never expected to feel like this.

But she couldn't help it. Her heart felt like it had been pulled out of her chest, stomped on and smashed into a thousand pieces. She couldn't breathe and every time she thought about it, it made her cry. All of this didn't make sense.

This was Klaus Mickaelson we're talking about – the original vampire who time and time again showed that he didn't care about anyone else but himself. He was proud, selfish, arrogant and just plain evil. How come she couldn't just accept that and move on? How come she had to get on that plane? She should have known it was a trap. She should have known she was going to get hurt. How come she kept fighting against the facts? Caroline had let him in when she shouldn't have and what does she get for it – a broken heart?

"Stupid, Caroline. You're just so stupid" she said to herself aloud, banging the back of her head against the door. As much as she tried to stop it, her tears still fell.

"You should have never let him in. Not even for a second. You should have believed your friends."

Caroline wiped away the tears with her hands and brushed back the hair that was falling in her face. "Enough" she warned herself, taking a deep breath right after. It was then that she finally stood up, and walked over to the dresser. She grabbed her carry-on, placed it on the bed and began packing up her things.

In her haste, she didn't notice her bag tipping over the edge of the bed. As she went over to the bathroom to pack up her curling iron and the rest of her stuff, she heard a loud thump. She peered into the room and found that her bag was already on the floor and some of her clothes had fallen out in the process.

She quickly grabbed everything she needed from the bathroom and went back into the bedroom to fix the mess. She dumped everything back into the bag, without a care in the world if her clothes were wrinkled and her stuff disorganized. She checked under the bed in case anything had landed there, but was surprised to find a seemingly large book instead.

Curious, she pulled it out from underneath and dusted it off with her fingertips, searching for a title. But there wasn't anything written on the front or the back. She was about to open the book, when an unexpected knock came from the door.

She froze.

"Caroline"

She knew she couldn't escape even if she tried. He would eventually find her if he wanted to.

"Leave me alone. What part of get out do you not understand? I do not want to see you" Caroline cautioned, placing the book on the bed and walking over to the bedroom door leading to the hallway.

"I just have something I want to say to-" he began, sternly.

"Then say it" she interrupted, her hand reaching for the knob, attempting to lock it.

Suddenly, the door was swinging inches from her face, and she instinctively jumped back. Caroline would have fallen over if hadn't been for strong arms that caught her. It was his strong arms- Klaus Mickaelson.

Embarrassed, she quickly broke free of his hold and stood so that they were face to face. Before he could say anything, she raised her hand and slapped him – hard.

"Okay, I deserved that" Klaus said, rubbing his jaw.

She wasn't done yet. She surprised him when she kicked him in the nuts and punched him in the face once more. He keeled over, trying to catch his breath.

"You deserve more than that. Kol does too," she claimed strongly. "Where is your brother anyway?"

It took more than a few seconds for Klaus to recover. Caroline held her fists in the air, readying herself for a fight. But when Klaus finally looked up to her, straight into her eyes, there wasn't anger or hatred, but a profound sense of sadness. "He's… around. I will deal with Kol. Right now, let's leave him out of this. Besides, this is not about him."

She didn't notice that she had slowly lowered her fists. He made his way over to her and stood mere inches away.

"You can pound me some more if that's what you want to do, but listen to what I have to say first" Klaus said softly, without any hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Caroline found it hard to believe. She was still angry with him, and was still not over what they had done to her just hours, or was it already a day before. "Why should I even listen to you? What else is there to say, huh? Your master plan of having "no plan" was really smart. I've got to hand it to you –"

"Stop." Klaus scolded, before she could even finish her sentence. He grabbed hold of both her hands that had formed fists at her sides.

"Don't say a word. Just listen and I promise then you can back to hitting me, running away from me, or whatever the hell you feel like doing. I have no idea what plan you have up your sleeve but I have something I need to say and it would be best if you stopped interrupting."

She was about to spit in his face, but thought otherwise. What's the use anyway? A big part of her, the part which she was trying as much as she could to suppress, was curious and begging her to at least hear him out. This side of Caroline was getting the better of her, especially with his close proximity. She didn't like it but found herself nodding in response.

Klaus let go of her hands and began to pace back and forth. "But first, why did you come Caroline?"

"Excuse me?" she asked, taken aback by his random question. She expected his explanations, not her interrogation.

"Before I say what I have to say, I just need to know this – why did you come?" he asked once more. This time he finally stopped pacing and was looking straight at her. Caroline was surprised by the honesty in his voice.

She wanted to lie. Really, she did. But the answer to his question was probably already written all over her face. Him. That's the reason she came. It was all because of him and the dreams that would never stop haunting her. Well, he didn't need to know that part of the story.

It must have been the way he was looking at her that made Caroline shudder. She answered him truthfully, startling herself. "You. Now does that make you happy? Is that what you wanted to here? God knows why I was so curious and persuaded by those stupid dreams… Quite frankly, I just needed to know what the picture was all about and why you brought me here in the first place. That was the plan, and then that plan turned into wanting to torture you for tricking me and to take revenge for all the unfinished business we had in Mystic Falls. But now that I know what YOU were up to, I honestly wish I didn't come."

"Oh wait, on second thought, I'm glad that I do" Caroline insisted, trying to convince herself with her own words. It was better that she found out the truth. Now it would be easier to hurt him – to kill him even.

He gritted his teeth before saying, "Curiosity killed the cat Caroline." The sincerity in his face had now shifted to anger, or was it exasperation. Caroline couldn't tell which of the two, but what she did know was that Klaus wasn't happy. And neither was she.

"Then why did you have to ask me? Oh I get it. You just want to shove it in my face and remind me that I'm the stupidest girl in the world for actually falling for all of this; that I acted like a child. All along you wanted to kill me, and I made it so easy for you. Well congratulations then. Can you just be done with it and stop beating around the bush? All this teasing and bickering is getting old." Caroline argued, folding her hands across her chest.

Klaus was stunned silent.

"Well? Now the cat's got your tongue." Caroline said sarcastically

He sighed, running a hand through his hair before responding. "No, love. You don't understand. That's not the point. I'm starting to think that I shouldn't even tell you anymore. It's better that you're furious with me – easier."

"What are you talking about?" Caroline screeched. She was already fed up with all this talk, which seemed to be going nowhere.

"In the beginning it really was a game. I was angry with you for distracting me and using your charm to outwit me. I was mad because you lied to me and made me look like a fool. I wanted to get back at you for what you had done and I didn't want the Salvatores or Bonnie to get in the way. I had to draw you out from the herd and then attack. That was the plan, and it was a damn good plan – until you actually showed up."

It was like Caroline didn't hear a thing he said. Was Klaus actually telling her the truth? How much of it was real and how much of it was make-believe? She couldn't tell. "And Tyler, was he just collateral damage for you? How about all of my friends? Stefan used to be your comrade – at some point even brother, how could you do this? Don't you think that everything you have done is already enough pain to last me a lifetime? Because it is."

Caroline could feel the tears springing in her eyes, but held them back. She would not be weak.

Klaus held a finger to her lips. "Shhh, did you hear what I just said love? That was the plan. It was the plan before you set foot in Paris, the plan before you got rat-arsed in a random pub and had dinner with me at the gardens. It was the first plan in a thousand years, that I regret making."

Caroline slapped him once more. Klaus held his jaw with the palm of his hand and gave her a serious look. She could tell by his clenched fists and his tense expression that he was fighting the urge to hit her. But to what end? She'd rather get this over with. These confused feelings she's been having and all these crazy dreams were misplaced. She wanted to believe in the good in Klaus – a changed and honest man who she could take into her light. But no, he is and will always be stuck in his own darkness. She should just put him in his place, get on a plane, and go home. That would put a stop to it all.

What makes him think that he can say these things to her and she would actually believe them? It's true that his behavior has been odd since she's seen him in London – but it doesn't erase the fact that he almost tried to hurt her again. Who is he trying to kid? Has Klaus gone mental? She couldn't help it. Caroline laughed.

"Seriously Klaus, that's funny. You almost had me there. But how stupid do you think I am? Why should I believe anything you say when everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie? Have you ever told me the truth? I don't think so."

Klaus looked over her shoulder and saw the black book on the bed.

"Did you open it?" he asked, pointing to where the book was sitting.

Caroline cocked her head in that direction and only stole a quick glance before looking back at her enemy once more. She shook her head. "Not yet. I was about to—"

Klaus didn't let her finish. He grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her towards the bed. He used his free hand to retrieve the book and held it out for her.

"Go ahead."

Caroline didn't seem to notice the serious yet amused look on Klaus' face.

"What if I don't want to?" she insisted.

Klaus shoved the book into her hands. He seemed insistent. Through gritted teeth he said, "Just do it."

She took hold of the book with one hand and used the other to open it up. After all, there was nothing to lose. It's not as if the book would be laced with vervain or anything. She flipped through the pages and realized that it wasn't actually a book. It was a sketchpad – his sketchpad. He must have hidden it under the bed when Caroline caught him sitting next to her earlier in the day.

Her jaw dropped as she stared at the first page. It was her mirror image on paper, another sketch of Caroline brushing the mane of the horse the night of the Original's party. She flipped to the next page and it was still a sketch of her. This time it was a simple close-up candid portrait of her laughing, with her hair blowing in the wind. She didn't even dare to turn the page over.

She dropped the book on the bed and some of the loose pages fell out and scattered in the process.

Right now, that was the least of Caroline's worries. She didn't know what to say or what to believe anymore. One minute she was so certain that he had lied to her and insistent that she had to hurt him. But right now, after seeing the sketches, those feelings were replaced with sadness and longing. It was like her anger vanished into thin air and what was left was a serious case of confusion. Her heart was thumping in her chest and she couldn't quite catch her breath.

"I'm telling you the truth Caroline, believe it or not. I didn't want any of this to happen. I know you were curious. I expected that much, but when you actually came and when I saw how excited you were and how carefree, I just – it was like it sparked something within me. I was watching you from a far when I realized that it wasn't your fault that I got distracted in the first place. It may have been your intention, but even when you weren't trying, there I was, gravitated to you. The truth is, I blamed you for the way you made me feel – a feeling so foreign to me and yet so strong that when you let me down and I found out that you were just leading me on, I snapped."

Caroline was silent.

Fire flicked in his eyes as he continued. "It was wrong of me to do or attempt to do what I wanted to and I understand that you have no reason to trust me. But I meant what I said before, now more than ever – the small town boy and small town life wouldn't be enough for you. You deserve so much more. I tried to stay away, believe me I tried, but even when I was planning my revenge, I was drawn to you."

Caroline raised her fist and was about to punch him but instead all the tears she was holding back, fell. It was no use trying to fight a battle she knew she couldn't win – especially when every bone in her body begged otherwise. "But you sired Tyler. You almost killed everyone that I care about in this world. You even tried to kill me in my dreams and the dreams turned into wanting you so bad. You saved me twice but then you keep trying to kill me. Everything is so muddled, and I don't understand how we came to this and—"

Klaus pulled her into his arms and hugged her. It was the maddest, most unexpected, and careless of actions between sworn enemies, but for a second there, they were just two people drawn in by gravity – and it felt right. She sobbed against his chest although she didn't hold him back. Her arms were at her sides, still in clenched fists. He was just as tense although Caroline could hear his heart beat. It was beating just as fast as hers. For some reason, and as foolish as it may sound after all they have been through, it felt like she belonged there, like she had always meant to be in his arms – that suddenly all the shadows and confusion, at least in that instant, turned into light just like her dream.

Klaus eased up and held her until her tears subsided. He didn't know how she would react as soon as he let her go, but he didn't have much of a choice. When he did, he was surprised that she suddenly slumped to floor. He wasn't able to catch her this time around.

Caroline had intentionally dropped to the floor and was now holding her face in her hands. Klaus knelt down beside her and as he saw Caroline's expression shift from anger to sadness, it tugged at his heart – one that he didn't even know he had. It was uncanny for him to be this sensitive and to be honest with anyone other than himself. It was unlike him to feel sorry for another person, for Caroline of all people, especially when they were sworn enemies.

They aren't even blood-related. Klaus had always cared about his family in his own albeit rubbish manner of showing it. But this – to care about Caroline's feelings and to lower his pride – was this what it had come down to? He couldn't contain himself any longer. His feelings towards his family he could always keep to himself but this… it was all too strange and yet overbearing.

Klaus rose to his feet. He could walk away. He could forget he even said anything and pretend all of this was another lie. He was used to being alone – used to manipulation and deceit, of playing games and pleasuring himself to other people's demise. He took one step forward but made the mistake of looking at Caroline one last time.

It was then Klaus realized he couldn't walk away even if he tried. Caroline was still on the ground with her face buried in her hands. She was confused and he knew that feeling all too well because he felt the same way. He couldn't abandon her now; not with the way he was drawn to her. He found himself crouching back next to her and the words just spilled out on their own.

"It really was a game Caroline, do you hear me? It was- past tense. As you probably know by now, it is no longer a silly game to me, and even though I've tried my hardest to deny it, I can't keep it in anymore. I can't keep up this bad boy façade, all this darkness and hatred, when all I really want to do is drown in your light. For some reason, and God knows what exactly, I care about you. It's the crazy most damnable thing. I can't seem to recognize myself, but I don't care anymore. Even when I planned to kill you, I had dreams about you – dreams where I wanted you so bad, and I'd get up and still want you. Don't you know how foolish this sounds? Well I do. You scare me Caroline Forbes, and I've never been scared in my entire life – except of my mother. And she's still out there. And although it is highly unlikely that you believe anything I just said, all I know now is that I had to be honest with you, especially after Kol stupidly…"

It was Klaus' turn to be interrupted. Caroline held a finger to his lips. "You're talking too fast I can't seem to keep up."

He was staring at the floor now, lost in thought, lost in what else he wanted to say or maybe he had already said too much. But if this was not a proclamation of love or at least something like it, Caroline didn't know what was. Oh Klaus Mickaelson, from confusion to anger to sadness to longing, she had finally realized that deep down this was what kept nagging at her all along. All the times she's been confused, thought about Klaus more than she should have and even dreamed about him – it was because she cared. It wasn't just something she made up in her head. It was real.

Even when she hated him, she wanted to know where he was. Without even realizing it, Caroline had already let him in. It all began that night he had thanked her for her honesty and gave her the sketch. Now it was his turn to be honest and she was more than thankful. This honesty – it's not what anyone could expect from him, not then, not now, not ever—but he was giving it to her. He was letting Caroline in too – at least, she'd like to think so.

This is supposedly the part in fairytales where the prince usually gets the princess and they live happily ever after, but here Caroline was, sitting in front of someone who was no prince at all. He is still considered the enemy, the one person who shouldn't be trusted. But she couldn't bring herself to walk away. It was the most damnable thing and she's been fighting it for so long to even recognize the truth behind it.

Now she couldn't deny it any longer.

"It's okay" Caroline found herself saying, pulling herself to her feet. Klaus followed suit.

"I beg your pardon?" Klaus looked at her incredulously as they stood eye to eye.

"I may never understand how or why this has happened. But there isn't any use in denying it. Even when I hated you, like you said, I was always drawn to you. I had the craziest dreams about you. I always felt that you were watching me, and whenever I lost that feeling, it scared me. I've been confused for the past few months but the second I'm in your arms, it's like all of that disappears. I don't understand it, but I gravitate to wherever you are, and that's what brought me here. I wasn't trying to escape anything, nor was I looking forward to getting killed. I'm realizing now, it was just an excuse. The truth is, I just needed to understand how I felt – and now I know."

Caroline was surprised at her own words, especially when about a minute ago she was prepared to knock him out and run for the hills.

"And what is this that you know?" Klaus inquired, interrupting her thoughts, his voice soft.

She couldn't stop the truth from pouring out. "You may have attempted to kill every single person that I care about in Mystic Falls and even planned to torture me, but in spite of all that, I cannot walk away from you. I should be steaming mad at you right now knowing everything about your games but I'm not. I want to be but I'm stupid. It would be so easy for me to hate you and to want to kill you, but that's not how I feel. Do I need to spell out the obvious for you? I cannot believe you are even asking me this question. Let me put it simply. You were right – the small town boy and life will never be enough for me." Caroline paused before admitting, "But you are." She whispered her last sentence that it would have been barely audible to a normal human being. But there was nothing normal about these two – not their vampire state, not their strong feelings for each other.

The cat's out of the bag this time though. The minute Caroline said it, that she cared about Klaus more than she would have wanted, she knew she couldn't take it back. That was okay. She wasn't lying, and because of what she said, her heart suddenly felt at ease and everything seemed to be right in the world. Take away all the pain and their history; this would have been easy. She cared about him – might even love him. But that wasn't the case, was it? Its more than complicated and Caroline wasn't sure if it was really love at all.

As Klaus took a step towards her, she could feel her breath catch. At that moment he was no longer the alpha male, headed to devour his prey, but a man so deeply enchanted by her presence. She was humbled. Neither of them cared about the consequences. She wanted this. She wanted him.

When they finally stood mere inches away from one another, Klaus used his right hand to cradle her face. Caroline leaned against it and found herself smiling.

"I am?" He was asking her permission as he repeated what she had said just a few seconds ago. Klaus couldn't believe what she had just admitted. He, the sworn enemy of everyone in Mystic Falls, was enough for the likes of the beautiful and carefree Caroline Forbes? He wasn't going to second-guess this, not right now when they seemed to be on the same page.

"You are." She whispered back.

That was when they both finally gave in. Klaus kisses her forehead first, and Caroline closes her eyes in response, entranced by the mere proximity of him. He then kisses the bridge of her nose before finally meeting her lips. As soon as they touch, he realized that it was way better than he ever dreamed it would be. He had made the right choice when he chose her. She tasted so warm, so lovely, and so sweet. It was intoxicating and he wanted it all. He would never have his fill of her, but he wouldn't stop trying. As she responds with equal passion, Klaus is lost.

Caroline felt just as shaken to the core. In a matter of seconds, their kisses turned from playful to passionate – not that she minded. This was where she wanted to be, and when their lips touched it was like a newfound energy and happiness engulfed her. She would not let him go. Caroline wrapped her arms around his neck while Klaus rakes his fingers through her hair, holding her close. His tongue, oh that tongue, stroked a fire within her as he plunges again and again. He bites her lip teasingly and Caroline couldn't help but moan.

This seemed to wake Klaus up from their passionate haze. It took all of his strength to keep himself from kissing her again, especially with Caroline looking up at him with pouty delectable just-kissed lips. He maintained his focus by looking into her eyes instead – which was actually a mistake. He could see, mirrored in her eyes, just as much desire as he had for her.

"Caroline, sweetheart. I don't –" he begins, trying to find reasons why they shouldn't. But Caroline has other ideas.

She kisses him before he could put in another word, grabbing hold of the back of his head with her hands, desperate for more of his heat. She cradles her body between his and it was all the permission he needed. Klaus growls in response.

He kisses her neck as he lifts her up into his arms and in a matter of seconds Caroline is sitting on the dresser and everything that was on it is falling to the floor. Her back crashes into the mirror and as soon as Klaus hears this, he carries her into his arms once more. She doesn't remember how she managed to do so, but in removing the pieces of glass that pierced through her back, she removes her own shirt. As they move against the wall, the cabinet, against the wall again and finally onto the bed, they manage to remove the rest of their clothing, except for their unmentionables. Everything around them is a mess but neither one of them cares.

As Caroline lies beneath Klaus against the plush covers of the bed, she can't help but be attracted to his warmth. She wraps her legs around his waist, cradling him to her. When he suddenly stops kissing her and tries to break free, she wraps her arms around his neck. It wasn't what Caroline thought it would be though. Klaus looks into her eyes and shakily says, "I won't be able to stop."

He is actually afraid of her. This hybrid, the man who has lived for more than a thousand years and terrorized hundreds, is suddenly afraid of intimacy. Caroline couldn't help but wonder if he's ever been in this position before, or if it's the first time he has cared this much about someone other than Rebekah or himself. This honesty humbled her. It wasn't a secret. She wanted him. She needed him.

Caroline runs her fingers down the side of his face, his neck, to his chest and finally to his heart. As she listens to his heartbeat once more, she can tell that it matches her own. She kisses him there, dead center and he groans, maddened. Once again, this is all the permission he needs.

Passion takes over. Everywhere Klaus touches burns, and Caroline finds herself reaching up to him, wanting him – wanting this more than anything she's ever wanted. She could live in this – die in this – and her last coherent thought is simple.

As absurd as it may sound, she might have just fallen in love with this man.


	12. Burn

**Chapter 12 - Burn**

Infatuated, yes but love? The thought seemed so simple when it first came to mind, but when history and circumstance finally caught up with Caroline; she realized it wasn't that easy. This was Klaus Mickaelson we're talking about – the greatest contradiction. She couldn't just _love_ him after all that he has done, could she?

Caroline had spent the past half-hour debating over whether or not she actually believed the way she was feeling. After what had happened last night, she somehow drifted off to sleep. As a vampire she didn't need any rest, but everything was too overwhelming that the minute she closed her eyes, she dozed off.

Now, Caroline could feel her cheeks turn red. It was another kind of distraction. She found herself remembering the way he stroked a fire in her and kissed every part of her body like it was sacred. She thought of the way he held her in his arms and the way he looked at her-eyes misted with passion and desire. He called her beautiful as he finally took them both to heaven, and at that moment it was like the world suddenly stopped. She never wanted to come down.

There was no use pretending anymore. She was too bothered to keep still. Caroline rolled onto her side, searching for warmth – for him, but when she found nothing, she instantly opened her eyes and sat up. As she looked across the room, she could see the mess they had made- clothes strewn all over the floor, furniture scattered and a broken mirror. It brought on the distraction all over again

"Ehm"

A cough that came from behind interrupted Caroline's thoughts. She immediately knew who it was.

"Klaus" she whispered, smiling innocently as she turned to face him.

He didn't look as happy to see her. Klaus was seated on a chair next to one side of the bed, pencil in one hand and his sketchpad in the other. Caroline noticed that he had a hard line on his forehead and his jaw was clenched. No, he wasn't happy at all. He might have looked absolutely delectable with his tussled locks and the fact that he was dressed in mere pajama bottoms, but his foul mood broke any passionate haze Caroline had been in earlier. The look on his face was not one of longing or desire as it had been earlier, but of sadness and anger.

Caroline felt crushed by it.

Klaus placed his things on the bed and stood up from where he was seated. He walked over to the fireplace at the far end of the room and turned away from Caroline.

"Are you mad?" she croaked, wrapping the sheet around her body and standing up from the bed. She slowly made her way towards him. Klaus realized her intentions and his head quickly whipped around to face her once more. She was within arms reach from him. "No Caroline, I'm not mad"

His tone begged otherwise. Caroline could feel the pain in his voice – the restraint. She knew he had his reasons, and it would probably come down to the fact that they were enemies, but where was the bad boy Klaus when you needed him? This was overwhelming, even for her – but she didn't regret what happened. No, he had to help him understand that it wasn't a mistake. At least, it wasn't for her.

He lied to her, attempted to take his revenge, almost killed everyone she loved in Mystic Falls, but even after all that, what she really wanted to do at this very moment was climb into his arms and embrace him. She wanted to take him into her light, like the dream, and forget everything else. It was difficult but not impossible – especially after the way he treated her last night, the way he lit a fire within her with his touch. It was magical.

"Caroline" he began, choosing his words carefully. "This was exactly what I was afraid of, and yet I gave into it so easily. I don't know what I was thinking. A thousand years should have taught me as much, but it didn't and I ruined everything."

Caroline bit her lip. She didn't want to cry now, not when she was speaking with a different Klaus, an honest Klaus. Although anyone in their right mind would find it so hard to believe, she couldn't help but linger and cherish the moment – while it lasted.

"No you didn't." She surprised herself with her own words. "Unless…"

Caroline turned her face away from him so he wouldn't see her disappointment and embarrassment.

Klaus still held her head in his hand, and using his thumb, brushed the side of her cheek softly. "Caroline, don't even say it. I don't regret what happened between us. It's not that I do not want you – because I did. I still do. Even when I hated you, like I said before, I still lusted after you. None of this is your fault Love. It's mine. Need I remind you that I tried to kill you and your friends, sired one them and tricked you all the way over here in my attempt to get revenge? I've done too many wretched things—mistakes that aren't easy to forgive and forget. You should just leave."

Caroline frowned. She knew he was right and yet she couldn't wrap her head around it. She hadn't felt this sense of peace in a really long time. It was refreshing.

She was mad at him. That much was true. But she also knew deep down in her heart that she wouldn't be able to stay mad at him forever. Every single nerve ending in her body was drawn to him, like gravity. She tried to hate Klaus. She wished she hated him. But she didn't.

It was amazing to Caroline how Klaus was still so honest. Instead of being afraid of him, it had the opposite effect. She wanted him even more.

Caroline turned her face back to him and forced a smile. She then used her hand to cover his, and slowly pulled it down until she was holding his hand by her side. Then she abruptly let go.

"Don't ruin this. If you want to talk, let's talk. About yesterday, I'm mad at you for lying to me. Even though it was a plan that you didn't wish to happen anymore, it was still your plan to begin with. You still kept me in the dark. And it's true—what you said. There are a number of reasons why I should be angry. I never said I wasn't. But the thing is, and listen when I tell you this because I'm only going to say it once –"

Caroline put both arms around his neck, pulling him close.

"I, Caroline Forbes, am not going anywhere. I meant what I said. What you did was wrong, but I choose to believe that somehow the guilt will punish you enough. If I'm wrong, then you'll have me to answer to. Don't underestimate what I can do. I'm not breakable Klaus. I've been confused for a long time, but I'm not confused now. I'm staying" she proclaimed.

His gaze shifted from pain to longing. "Sweetheart—"

She put a finger to his lips. Caroline sure as hell wasn't done yet. "You don't need to compel me. You have to promise me you never will. I'm not a baby anymore so can everyone stop making decisions for me? If you want me to leave then it's because YOU want me to and not because you think that's what I want. Right now I choose to stay. You promised once to show me the world, and despite all that's happened in the past few days, I can't say I didn't enjoy it. But the part that I liked the most—the reason why I'm staying in the first place – is the part where you were honest with me. That's all any woman can ever ask for and I'm sure it wasn't easy for you. You showed me you, and it's like meeting you for the very first time. I can't help but be curious. I've had the craziest dreams about you. Although most of what you talked about where stuff you shouldn't have done, it is honesty all the same. There's a whole other side of you I choose to believe you have. In fact, this is the world I want to see, the crazy messed-up yet romantic _alpha male_ standing right in front of me."

His eyes widened. Klaus still didn't look convinced.

"I need you," she admitted quietly, praying that he would finally give in.

Immediately, his eyes snapped back into focus. This was a different kind of need and he knew it. He felt it. Caroline's body language showed just how much she wanted him, but at the same time her eyes told a different story. She cared, in spite of everything. She wasn't lying when she said that she needed him. It may be hard to admit, but he needed her too.

Caroline couldn't quite read his expression. She thought he was angry again and this time he would finally walk away from her. That would be the end of it, and a part of her was already crushed at the though. She almost felt her heart crumble to pieces.

But before she could get ahead of herself, he kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her into his warmth – his world. She was wrong about how he felt. Even if Klaus was covered with darkness, she would be his light.

"Oh Caroline Forbes where have you been all my life?" he whispered, smiling.

It wasn't exactly a proclamation of love, but it made Caroline's heart flutter just the same. Indeed, it had been much too long since she's seen him smile. She actually wondered if she'd ever seen it before – a genuine smile from Klaus Mickaelson. But it was worth it. She couldn't help but grin back.

"I—"

Caroline caught herself in the nick of time. She was about to say it. The three words she was debating on earlier didn't seem like a question any longer, but a revelation. She wasn't ready to admit it to herself let alone to Klaus – especially when just hours earlier she was ready to kill him. Could you actually hate someone and love him at the same time? This was definitely more befuddling than anything she had ever experienced before.

"Caroline?" he asked, a worried look plastered on his face.

She wasn't ready to deal with all of this. To avoid interrogation, she kissed him on the lips – hard. He was surprised at first but kissed her back with equal passion.

The second they both stopped to catch their breaths; Klaus took Caroline in his arms and carried her baby style back to the bed. He laid her gently on top with the sheet all messed up and only partially covering her. He stood in front of her and admired the view.

Caroline was intoxicated by his passionate gaze, but felt something poking her from underneath. She grabbed the sketchpad, which was nudged between her and the bed and as soon as she held it up, a piece of paper fell. Klaus grabbed the sketchpad from her and tossed it aside, while Caroline picked up the piece that was now lying on her chest. She held it up so she could see what was written on it and instead found another sketch of her. She couldn't help but smile. It was a sketch of her, lost in slumber—peacefully asleep.

This must have been what Klaus was working on earlier. Even when he was angry with her, he couldn't resist.

Caroline smiled as she handed the sketch back to him. He placed it beside her before he climbed onto the bed himself. He raised himself on all fours because he didn't want to crush her with his weight – not that she was breakable or anything. If he only could, he would stay this close to her as long as possible. This feeling of longing was new to him. For a thousand years, he has trusted no one, but right now with Caroline, things were obviously different.

Klaus never knew what hit him. All that he did know was that he wanted her, now more than ever. The first time was even more passionate than he ever dreamed it could be. He had been with hundreds of other women before, but it couldn't compare. This time he didn't just want her body. As selfish as it was, he wanted it all.

As Klaus brushed back the hair that was falling out of place and gazed into her eyes, he smiled and said "It doesn't compare to the real thing. You're beautiful Caroline Forbes."

Then there were no words. She reached up to kiss him – to take him into her light and Klaus responded with equal passion. With a groan that sounded as if it were ripped from his throat, he reached for her and drowned in her softness. He weaved his hand through her hair and she was lost once more. Every part of her was tingling in response to his touch. Caroline felt like her whole body was on fire.

He kissed her. She kissed him. They were no longer sworn enemies, but lovers. In a matter of seconds, vampires both they are, they were moving against each other skin to skin.

And although neither of them would admit it or maybe they both haven't even realized it yet, this was no longer just two people giving in and trying to make sense of their feelings, playing with the fires of burning passion and lust, but love.


	13. Oops I Did It Again

**Chapter 13- Oops I Did It Again**

They've been at it for days – fighting, making up, kissing and falling into bed like they were just any other couple. It's as if they didn't share such a difficult history. Ever since Klaus had admitted that he cared about her, Caroline felt like a weight was lifted and she was finally returning back to the way she was – carefree, spunky, acting with no reservations whatsoever. On other hand, this newfound honesty sparked something in Klaus. He found himself telling her stories about his life—stories long before he became a vampire. One of these stories, and probably the closest to his heart, was how he was very protective of Rebekah in everything she did.

"Do you miss her?" Caroline asked; looking into Klaus eyes, while subtly playing with the hair splayed on his chest. His arm was around her, cradling her close and the sheet barely covering them both.

"Everyday..." Klaus admitted, kissing the top of her head and rubbing her arm.

Caroline studied his face, and saw that he was really sad and worried about his sister. "Then why don't you look for her?"

He forced a smile. "Caroline, don't you think I've already tried? I'm not even sure she knows I'm alive. And if she does, she doesn't want to see me. She must think I'm mad at her for the whole Elena thing."

Caroline tipped her head to the side, "Are you mad at her?"

He sighed. "No, sweetheart, I'm not mad at her."

She didn't know what else she could say or how far she could push Klaus. It was the first time that they were actually having a conversation that involved their friends and their history – the past they were both trying to avoid, but couldn't. It obviously was a delicate topic to discuss, and Caroline was worried that she might say something that would ruin everything.

He must have been thinking about the exact same thing. They were both silent.

"Caroline, I think the better question is- are you mad at Rebekah? And more importantly, are you still mad at me for the whole Elena thing?" he whispered.

She didn't say a word.

Caroline was so worried about Klaus' feelings that she hadn't really thought of her own. Yes, she was mad at Klaus for torturing Elena and almost draining every single drop of blood from her body. Yes, she was also mad at Rebekah for being the one that killed her. But a part of her understood where Rebekah was coming from. She wanted to hurt Alaric for killing her father. The difference was that she was able to stop herself in time. Rebekah hadn't, and in the process of killing Alaric, Elena was collateral damage.

"Caroline?" he whispered, kissing the top of her head once more. "Forget I said anything."

She trailed her palm across the side of this face and stopped when he reached his stubble.

"Alaric killed my father. I wanted to rip him to pieces. I almost did, and I would have if he, and I'm talking about the real Alaric, hadn't treated me like his own daughter. The only difference between Rebekah and I is that I knew him before he turned into a monster. I cared about him. I respected him. I loved him like a father. I couldn't kill someone who would have protected me with his own life if he had the choice. But at the same time, it doesn't mean I'm not mad at Rebekah, because I am. I understand how grief can push you to do things you never imagined yourself doing. And I think she's mad at herself, more than she is scared of you."

Klaus put his free hand on top of hers, grabbed hold of it and laced his fingers through hers.

"I'm sorry Caroline. I—"

She wouldn't let him finish. "Are you sorry because Elena's now a vampire and you have no use for her anymore? Sorry that you weren't able to save her just so you could take her for yourself? What are you sorry for Klaus?"

He squeezed her hand. Caroline expected Klaus to be angry with her because of her sudden outburst. But he wasn't. "I'm sorry for everything. It's hard for me to admit when I'm wrong. But you're right. I would have saved her just so I could take her for myself. I wanted her blood and I didn't care about the consequences. If Tyler hadn't saved her, well, you know what would have happened. But now, things are different, Caroline. I know you don't take my word for it, but I'm honestly apologizing for what I had done and not seeing how selfish I was."

She looked up to him with tears in her eyes. "I'm still mad at you. It's not easy for me to accept everything"

He let go of her hand and wiped away her tears with his thumb. "Shhhh. It's okay, be mad at me. Just please don't cry."

She sniffled and bit her lip to stop more tears from falling.

Klaus shifted positions so he was now on top of her. His hands were now on both sides of her, carrying most of his weight so he wouldn't crush her. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips.

"I'm sorry love."

She kissed him back in response, drowning herself in him, trying to forget all the arguing and the anger she felt inside. She wasn't sure if she would ever forgive the Mickaelsons for what they had done. Right now she was too distracted by Klaus and how much she was drawn to him.

Before one thing could turn to another though, Caroline pushed him over so that she was now on top and Klaus was pinned under her.

"Mmmmm. Right now, I like how you're so dominating. It's refreshing. Don't get used to it though. I'm the alpha male, right?"

She grabbed the nearest pillow and smacked him. "I'm hungry, let's get dressed."

"But." he groaned, pouting.

"No buts. We need to get out of this house." She stated, climbing out of the bed and dressing in one of the bathroom robes sitting nearby.

Klaus sat up running a hand through his hair and laughed. "Only you, Caroline. Only you could defy me and live another day."

She put her hands on her hips. "Very funny."

"I'm serious. I'm also serious about you staying here while I go grab dinner." He announced, standing up and walking towards her.

Klaus was dressed in his boxer shorts and to Caroline, he looked absolutely delectable. Why had she gotten out of bed again?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Klaus gave her a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"Is there something you aren't telling me?"

He smiled, "Nothing important. Just stay here okay. You don't know your way around and I promise I'll bring something that you'll like."

"So you'll be coming back in all that glory?" she teased, pointing at him square in the chest.

He laughed. "You're the one who wanted me to leave sweetheart. And I'll do you one good, I'll bring ice cream"

She couldn't help but smile as he left the room.

Everything seemed so carefree in the last few minutes he spent with her that Caroline almost forgot about their last conversation. Could things actually work out with Klaus? Would he ever care enough to actually love her? Because she already did, and she was worried that she might be the only one feeling this way.

* * *

Freshly bathed and clad in a summer dress that Klaus had given to her the other day, Caroline had never felt so invigorated. She felt like she was ready to take on the world if she had to. Was it always like this when in love?

She hoped so.

She didn't even hear Tom come into the room. "Miss Caroline, my golly, you look absolutely gorgeous. It seems as if I haven't seen you in a long time. Would you like me to get you anything while you wait for Sir Mickaelson?"

Caroline stood up, ran over to Thomas and hugged him tightly, almost knocking the wind out of him.

"I've missed you too Miss Caroline."

She let go of him and smiled. "How are you Tom?"

"Quite dandy, if I do say so myself. Would you like me to get you a cup of tea Miss Caroline?"

Caroline felt like exploring instead of sitting in the room waiting. She know she had promised Klaus she would stay home, but that didn't mean she couldn't explore his property.

"No thank you Tom. I promise, we'll catch up soon. I think I want to do some exploring. Don't worry I won't go to far." She winked.

"Be careful Miss Caroline. I trust you understand the consequences."

She nodded before making her way out of the room. Once again, she passed the hallway of portraits, and stopped when she found the photograph of Klaus. He had long hair, but the same gorgeous blue eyes, ones that seemed to be looking straight into her soul.

"Stop looking at me" she whispered.

A thought suddenly came to Caroline's mind. She's never been to Klaus' room. He was always with her, but they always got so caught up in each other that she forgot to ask about what his actual room looked like. She imagined something dark, with a huge bed and minimalistic design. Maybe an easel could be found here and there, or a sketchpad, but no mess.

She decided she would find out on her own.

Caroline turned back the way she came and waved to Thomas as he passed her. She continued down the hall, passed her room and a few other doors before finally reaching the very end. There was a single mahogany door, which she assumed was the entrance to Klaus' room.

She knew she should have waited for him to bring her there, but she couldn't help it. She pushed open the door before anyone could stop her and what she found inside made her jaw drop.

Klaus room wasn't like anything she ever expected. On one side there was a mini library and a plush sofa and rug, with a fireplace situated in front of it. To the other were a huge four poster bed, a dresser, and a door which probably led to his private bathroom. But it wasn't all of these things that surprised Caroline. It was the number of paintings that were hanging around the room. As a matter of fact, the ceiling had its own mural. Next to the window there were sketchpads, easels, unfinished paintings – basically a creative mess.

She didn't expect Klaus to be so serious about art and beauty. There really was a whole other side to him that she didn't know anything about. She wanted to though. She felt her heart jump at the thought.

Caroline knew it wouldn't be right to explore someone else's private things without asking, so she closed the door in a hurry and made her way back down the hallway before anyone could see her. She decided it might not be so bad to see the other rooms as well.

She opened the first door and found a more classic- themed room. It must be Rebekah's since she's the closest to Klaus' heart. There was a huge vanity with lots of make-up, and two doors, one partially open revealing a walk-in closet. This was definitely a girl's room.

As Caroline closed the door behind her, she decided to check out the room which was on the opposite side of Rebekah's. She took a peek inside and found a royal blue themed room, fit for a prince. She guessed this was probably Kol's because it looked as if someone had just been there and Kol was the only other person in the house recently.

That was the only time that she remembered what happened. Klaus had carried Kol's lifeless body out of the room that night. She never asked about it since. He never mentioned it to her either. Didn't white oak kill Original vampires? So Klaus had killed is own brother?

It didn't make any sense at all. Klaus had daggered his brother before and that kept him asleep for thousands of years. But this was white oak and from what Caroline remembered; it was lethal to the Original family. They even destroyed Wickery Bridge when they heard it was made out of wood from that tree. It wasn't a surprise that Klaus had one. He was always one step ahead, even of his siblings. But to actually kill one of his own with it? Klaus wouldn't have done it unless it was the only thing standing in his way. Caroline didn't think he had it in him, no matter how tough looking he was on the outside.

Something just didn't seem right. Caroline knew it was wrong to invade his privacy, but couldn't help herself and stepped into the room. Upon closer inspection, Caroline realized it was Kol that was lying on the bed, tucked under the sheets.

She jumped backward in surprise and covered her mouth with her hand, stifling her scream. Kol was still alive. It was as if the white oak that Klaus had used on him worked like the dagger. It was pierced through his heart, keeping him in slumber. But it didn't kill him. He was as hard as stone.

Caroline should have known that Klaus was always prepared. If she had chosen to dagger him before, it wouldn't have killed him. A part of her was insulted that he would undermine her intelligence and use it against her, but another part of her tried to understand where he was coming from. Alaric had staked him with it before and it almost killed him. Klaus couldn't take his chances a second time.

He definitely had a lot of explaining to do. Caroline probably should have asked him about it first, but Kol wasn't the bad guy here and she felt sorry for him. She even forgot about the whole thing. Plus, if Klaus didn't think she needed to know about the dagger, then Caroline didn't need to ask his permission to do what she wanted to do next.

She grabbed hold of the piece of white oak and pulled.

Color returned to Kol's face, and in a matter of seconds, his eyes fluttered open. Caroline was about to stuff the white oak in the drawer for safekeeping but before she could do so, Kol had grabbed hold of her neck and slammed her against the wall.

"What do you think you're doing here young lady?" he said angrily, a little disoriented.

"Kol" she managed to choke out. Caroline was finding it hard to breathe. She had let her guard down and she could die at the hands of Klaus' little brother right here, right now. Dark spots began appearing before her eyes.

It took a few seconds for Kol to realize that Caroline had saved him instead of hurting him. As soon as the realization hit, he let go of her and Caroline fell to the ground.

"Pardon my manners. I just expected my brother to wake me. After all, we were the only two people who knew about the dagger. I have a score to settle with him. That is…" Kol began, tipping his head to one side "assuming you haven't killed him already."

Caroline looked up to him and shook her head.

"Well then that's a shame, isn't it? He must really care about you because you're still alive, but listen to me when I say that you shouldn't think—even for a second, that he's changed. A thousand years cannot change a man in a day, my dear. I love my brother but even I myself have a hard time forgiving and forgetting all the things he's done. He's kept me asleep for thousands of years Caroline. The man doesn't know a thing about real love and real relationships. He's killed me one too many times and I'm not so sure he'll change – for anyone."

Caroline couldn't help but stare at his feet. Kol has been with Klaus longer, but she didn't know what to believe anymore. Could the same man who's been honest with her for the past few days still be the man who has torn his family apart? Could he change?

Kol held out a hand and tried to help Caroline to her feet but retracted when he heard footsteps coming through the doorway.

"Hello big brother,"

"Kol." Klaus greeted in reply, staring down at his younger sibling. He was carrying blood bags in one hand and a tub of Ben & Jerry's in the other. "I thought I heard a disturbance in here."

"Niklaus"

It was more of an apology than a greeting, but that's exactly how Caroline felt. She knew she had defied him when it wasn't any of her business. Even though she was frustrated with Klaus, she shouldn't have acted so rashly. She could only hope that he wouldn't want to take revenge.

Klaus' attention shifted as he took one look at her. He cocked his head to one side and smiled.

He wasn't angry. In fact he looked apologetic. It was probably because she had discovered his secret. Caroline's heart jumped in response.

Both were too distracted to notice that Kol had other plans. It all happened in a split second. Klaus turned to look at Caroline and was thinking about saying something witty. Suddenly Kol was standing right behind him with a good old fashioned wooden stake which he drove into Klaus' heart. He took one of the blood bags and the ice cream before he made his way out of the room.

"That's for killing me again big brother. I hope this is the last time we have to do this. Please do stop dragging me into your nonsensical plans. I've had enough of the games and I think you have to. I care about you Klaus' but you need to start acting like a real big brother and grow up!"

Kol slammed the door shut behind him as he left the room while Klaus, on the other hand, slowly slumped to the ground. Caroline crawled over to him and pulled the stake out of his heart. She positioned herself so that Klaus' head was lying on top of her legs. She stroked his hair back even though she knew it wouldn't take him too long to recover.

Caroline couldn't say the same for herself. What Kol had said earlier bothered her and she could only hope that she was making the right decision by staying.

Caroline was wrong, totally wrong.

* * *

Klaus was now holding her tightly by the neck, similar to what Kol had done earlier. She should have anticipated it this time around, but she didn't. Her lungs were running out of air – fast.

She tried to break free from his hold, but he was obviously stronger than she was. "Klaus" she choked out, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Klaus must've recognized her voice and he immediately let go of her.

Caroline landed on her feet this time. She rubbed her neck with one hand and used the other to wipe away her tears.

"Sweetheart" he whispered, taking a step towards her.

She took two steps backward. "Don't touch me. Killing people must definitely run in this family. I've been choked twice today. You both are so immature."

He looked horrified with himself.

"I really thought for a second that Kol had died. But of course I didn't know about the whole white oak turned dagger-like weapon that you have created. He has every right to be mad at you. I'm mad at you too. You think you're so smart because you have a weapon that everyone else will think can be used against you and it doesn't actually work? Well I don't. Once again you lied to me. How can you be so cruel? Oh yes, you're Klaus." It was a low blow, Caroline knew, but she couldn't help it. She was taken aback by the fact that he almost choked her to death.

"Yes, I'm Klaus, the cruel hybrid alpha male, but I'm also a big brother. He needed to be taught a lesson Caroline and even though you don't agree on my methods, it's none of your business. He was only mad at himself for taking it too far. I would have taken the stake out eventually. And speaking of the white oak weapon, I didn't exactly lie to you. It would have kept me down, in spite of my hybrid genes. So it works. What makes you think any of my siblings would wake me up in this century if you staked me? Or even the next?"

Caroline bit her lip. He had a point.

"Now do you understand? I swear I would have taken the stake out eventually even if you didn't do it tonight." Klaus insisted.

"Is that so? Then why did you keep him staked for thousands of years before? Elijah had to free him of that – not you. Were you ever going to take it out then? What did he ever do to you to deserve that?"

He cowered in response. "It's a long and complicated story Caroline. And it basically comes down to how I was a different person then."

She glared at him. "Are you sure about that? Because by the looks of it, you haven't changed at all."

Before she could say anything else, his arms were around her holding her close. "Please don't be mad at me. I'm sorry about the weapon. I'm sorry that I didn't recognize you right away. I didn't mean to hurt you. I wouldn't do that—at least, not anymore. History contradicts everything that I am saying to you at the moment. But I will change that. There's much you don't know about me Caroline. Just give it –give me some time to show you… show you all of me"

It was like all her anger had vanished into thin air as soon as he said those last words. She knew how difficult it was for him to apologize to her. She had forever, after all, so why not give him some time? Caroline leaned her head against his chest comfortably.

"Okay."

Klaus then let her go and walked over to where the remaining blood bags were. He tossed one to Caroline before saying "You must be hungry. Eat, and then we'll go out and grab some ice cream."

Her face lit up almost immediately. This was going to be their first public appearance together. She wondered how he would treat her then. "Are you actually serious about that?

"Yes Caroline, I do fancy some gelato. I know this great ice cream parlor nearby, and I would enjoy taking you."

"But how about…Kol?"

He tipped his head to one side and smiled. "Sweetheart, my brother isn't a threat. He wouldn't even dare as long as I'm concerned. He is probably out gallivanting with the first beautiful woman he could find. He's always been a ladies man"

"And you'd rather go out for ice cream?" she asked, pushing his buttons. A pang of jealousy tore at her heart, but she pushed it away.

Klaus just laughed it off. "Yes, Caroline. Why do you sound so surprised?"

As soon as he said this, she ripped open the blood bag and gulped down every last drop. It was fresh human blood, but at least he had the decency to get it from the hospital and not from – well, not from someone else. After Klaus had admitted to wanting to be with her, her face had turned red in embarrassment and she didn't want him to notice. She hoped she grabbed the blood bag in time.

"I'm done." She announced seconds later, dropping the empty bag in the wastebasket and walking over to where Klaus was standing.

"Ice cream it is, my lady" he replied, offering his arm for her to grab hold of.

Caroline did just that.

He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before they both headed out to the busy evening streets of London, grinning from ear-to-ear.


	14. Friday Night Bites

**Chapter 14 – Friday Night Bites**

Caroline was surprised to find that Klaus was still holding her hand tightly as they walked around the busy streets of London. It was a Friday night after all, and everyone was out and about.

They moved through the throngs of people like lovers; that is, closely knit together and caught in their own world. It surprised Klaus how easy it was to be with Caroline. He could talk to her about his interests, the places he's been to, and even the people he's met through the years, although she didn't know most of them.

Caroline felt the same way about him. For a second there, as he held her hand tight, she forgot all about the horrid parts of the history they shared. She told him stories about her growing up and how it was like having a sheriff for a mother.

Pretty soon they arrived at the ice cream parlor and Klaus opened the door for Caroline as they headed in.

It was a large albeit cozy ice cream parlor, just the way she liked it. This was a place where they could just talk, hang out, and maybe sneak a kiss every now and then. The thought made Caroline blush.

After all, this was their first public date – at least she believed it was. It made her feel all giddy inside. She couldn't help it. This was Klaus Mickaelson and she was Caroline Forbes. Who could have imagined these two sitting next to each other sharing a bowl of gelato instead of ripping each other's throats out?

No one.

Klaus ordered their specialty and as soon as the waitress left, he surprised Caroline by grabbing hold of her face and kissing her on the lips.

Yes, this was definitely where she should be. It was impossible to deny their chemistry. Klaus strongly felt it. She felt it too. Sometimes she wondered if it was simply lust, but the fact that he would take her out on a date, and that she seemed to care about it so much – it couldn't be a carnal relationship. This was the real deal, and that was what scared the crap out of Caroline.

She couldn't care less about what other people thought of them. They didn't need to know anything other than the fact that they were two regular people out on an ice cream date.

"Aww, look at those two. Aren't they just adorable?" an old lady mentioned to her husband.

Caroline heard what she said, and Klaus probably did too, because he pulled her in even closer. Caroline wrapped her arms around his neck and found herself smiling as he continued to kiss her. Pretty soon they were once again lost in each other.

They didn't notice the waitress walking back to their table.

The next thing she knew, Caroline felt a searing pain in her backside. Klaus immediately broke the kiss, realizing they were in danger. He looked into her eyes for a quick second before scanning the rest of the room.

Apparently, no one was in sight. It was like everyone had disappeared into thin air.

Caroline, on the other hand, wasn't much help. The stake had also been poisoned with vervain, and it weakened her. She found it quite difficult to concentrate. She held on to Klaus for support.

"Caroline, stay with me." He commanded, shaking her.

She reached behind herself to try to pull the stake out of her backside. It had nearly hit her heart, which was probably why she felt so weak. But Klaus was faster. He crushed his lips against hers and as he did so, he pulled the stake out of her backside.

She screamed.

It was a good thing that Klaus had heightened senses as a hybrid. He pushed Caroline out of the way as another stake sailed towards them. At the same time, he mentally reprimanded himself for putting his guard down. There was nothing he could do now but fight back.

He positioned himself in front of Caroline and looked around the room, trying to sense where the enemy was. It was then he realized that they were surrounded and outnumbered. It didn't mean though that he wouldn't win this one and rip all their hearts out for attempting to hurt her.

"Show yourself cowards. If you want a fight, let's fight." he cried out, his hands forming fists at his sides.

There was silence.

"Or I could hunt you down and kill you all. I took out a pack of wolves once so I'm sure I can easily take down a group of vampires. Why do you dare challenge me? Who are you working for? Seeing as I am the Original vampire and you know that I can rip you to pieces, tell me now why I should even bother saving your measly lives. Show yourselves."

It was then that they all came out of their hiding places. It was amazing how the vampires had managed to slip in undetected while the people outside the parlor walked by like it was invisible. Some sort of spell had been cast on the place because no human being dared to enter where they were. At the same time, it seemed as if the vampires were possessed. Fifteen in all, they slowly advanced to where Klaus and Caroline were, without even saying a word. They weren't staring at Klaus—no, they knew they couldn't defeat him even if they tried. They were not sent for him. They were snarling at Caroline Forbes.

Klaus recognized the threat and was immediately protective of Caroline. "If you bite her, you die. On second thought, if you even take one step towards her, I will kill you. I no longer care who sent you. I will show whoever it is once again why I am not to be messed with."

They didn't listen to a word he said. The vampires advanced to where Klaus and Caroline were. It was a good thing that she had already recovered and was ready to fight. As Klaus kicked away one vampire with his foot, he snapped the neck of another.

Caroline wouldn't just sit back and watch. She pushed away one that tried to bite her and wrestled with it before finally ripping his head off. Man, she missed having a good fight. She definitely learned a lot more from her training with Damon and Stefan and finally put it to good use.

"Caroline" Klaus shouted.

Suddenly she was knocked over by another vampire. She wrestled with it before it suddenly collapsed beside her. Someone had shoved a piece of wood through his heart and she was pretty sure it was Klaus.

Caroline could definitely see them working out as partners – in combat, at least. No one could tear them apart. It might have felt a tad bit weird to be fighting on the same side for a change, but she knew she was safe, and that was the most important thing. Klaus would protect her if his life depended on it. Caroline surprised herself with this idea, but what shocked her even more was the fact that she would do the same if she had to. She would protect Klaus Mickaelson.

"Caroline, are you hurt?" he asked, grabbing hold of her arm with a concerned look plastered all over his face. Not all of the vampires were dead. Klaus would have wanted to make them suffer. They were only temporarily restrained with their own vervain shots and wooden stakes that were used against them.

"I'm fine. We should just get out of here. There's no need to cause any more damage to the place, I kind of like it. Plus, I think they've all learned their lesson. I don't even know why they bothered trying or the reason behind it. Who cares? Do you know another place we can get ice cream, I would love…"

Klaus interrupted her by lifting a finger to her lips.

He stared deeply into her eyes and Caroline knew what he was about to do next. Before she could turn away from him he grabbed hold of her face.

"Noooooo" she shrieked, trying to break free. Before she could shut her eyes, he commanded: "Go home Caroline. Now. Go to my London house, stay within the property and don't look back."

She hated him. He promised he wouldn't compel her, and she actually believed him. But he did so anyway.

Caroline no longer struggled and Klaus let go of her. He could hear the sound of muffling and sneering from behind. The vervain must have worn off already. He knew he didn't have much time. Explanations could come much later.

Klaus quickly opened the door to the parlor and motioned Caroline to leave. But he would never forget the look on Caroline's face as she looked to him for one last time. Behind the compulsion, deep in her eyes, he could see her sadness. There were tears forming but she couldn't quite let them out. Her fists were closed at her sides as her body was trying to fight against the compulsion.

But it was no use. Caroline walked out of the door anyway without looking back, as commanded.

It took him a second to snap back into focus. He didn't need to care about how Caroline felt. She would understand that he had to do this to protect her. It was the right thing to do.

As Klaus turned around, he found that some of the vampires had already gotten to their feet.

He growled one last time before he ripped all of their hearts out one by one.

* * *

Caroline slumped against the front door, exasperated. How could Klaus do this to her? She specifically told him that she didn't like being compelled and made him promise that he would never do it to her again. But he did anyway.

They weren't in any imminent danger, where they? The vampires had them outnumbered but they managed to kill three in a matter of seconds, piece of cake. It wasn't as if they were wolves. What was Klaus so worried about? She could protect herself and she could protect him. She knew that she had the strength and vitality to do so. Together, they could have just escaped. But no, he had to be overbearing commanding Klaus – bloodthirsty hybrid. He just didn't trust her or must really not care at all that he had to compel her to leave.

The thought made Caroline's tears fall, but she brushed them away quickly with the back of her hand. There was no use crying. Although she used everything that she had within her to stay and help him fight, she failed anyway. Compelled, she simply trudged back into his London home and was now slumped against the front door. She hated him.

Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

Caroline quickly got to her feet and brushed herself off. She knew she shouldn't speak to him while she was still furious, but she didn't care. She had a lot to say to him. Whatever reason Klaus had for compelling her, she wouldn't buy it. He had another fight on his hands.

She turned the knob with one hand and raised the other, ready to punch him in the face as soon as he came into view.

But there was no one.

Caroline lowered her fist and stepped outside. She looked left and right but all she could see were his parked cars and the garden. There was no one else but her. Something just didn't feel right though. She could smell a faint hint of blood.

She quickly glanced downward and found the source. A letter was stuck under the welcome mat and it was slightly bloodstained. She picked it up in a hurry and read through it.

"_Caroline – please don't hate me. There's a gazebo tucked in the backyard garden. You'll find me there. Hurry…"_

It wasn't signed or anything, but she assumed it was Klaus. Who else could it be? He was wrong if he thought that she would actually head over there after he had compelled her. Once again he was bossing her around and she didn't like it. No, she wouldn't fall for this one. He had to learn his lesson. She wasn't someone who could easily be pushed around wherever and whenever he wanted to.

Well, he wasn't pushing her exactly and he did say please – so why shouldn't she go over and then tell him how she feels? Screw waiting. Caroline headed to the back door. She would give him a piece of her mind, and then we'll see if he could ever boss her around again.

As she closed the back door behind her, Caroline looked around to find where the gazebo was. Even though you couldn't see it from the front of the mansion, he had a really huge garden out back. It was a good thing that the gazebo's roof stuck out of the trees and there was light flickering from inside. She headed over to it, vampire speed, practicing what she would say to him at the same time.

When she arrived, there was still no one there. The gazebo just had a few candles lit up all around, illuminating the inside.

"You might as well know that this romantic gesture or whatever you're trying to do won't work. You can't manipulate me. I hate you and I probably will never speak to you again. Who gave you the right to compel me or to boss me around? I sure as hell didn't and I hate that you even had the nerve to do so right after I told you not to. So much for growing up and being more mature…You're still your childish, selfish self. Come out and face me like a man. You won't get away with this" She said into the darkness, waiting for him to show up.

She was surprised when someone tapped her lightly from behind. She raised her hand and turned to slap him, but was surprised when another woman's hand caught her arm.

"Get away with what? Caroline Forbes, what the devil have you done?"

Her jaw dropped. Standing right in front of Caroline with one hand on her hip and the other holding her arm was Elena Gilbert. And apparently Elena didn't look too happy to see her.


	15. Uninvited

**Chapter 15 - Uninvited**

"Elena what in the world are you doing here? You scared me half to death." Caroline said, pulling her friend in for a hug.

"What am I doing here? I think the better question is what are YOU still doing here? We've been looking for you everywhere and it wasn't the best welcome to find you canoodling with Klaus."

"You caught us what?" Caroline asked, letting go of her friend.

"We saw you in the ice cream shop."

Caroline's jaw dropped. "Oh, that. I'm really sorry for not telling you, but well, it's complicated. Once you hear me out I think you'd understand where I'm coming from with this… but wait, didn't you hear us get attacked? You decided NOT to help us?

Elena folded her arms across her chest. "Klaus can handle himself Caroline. You of all people should know that. We would have interfered had he not told you to leave and run for safety."

Caroline couldn't tell if Elena was angry, sad or excited to see her. It must be a little of everything. Now more than anything though, Caroline could feel a lecture coming on – one that was well deserved given the fact that she hadn't spoken to them in days.

"I can't believe you would do this to us Car. After all we've been through you would just drop from the face of the earth with no word whatsoever? Don't you know how worried we are? I told you to call. But did you listen to me? No."

Elena unfolded her arm and brushed back her hair with both hands, exasperated. "Bonnie is going ballistic because she can't track you. Your mom has been asking us thousands of questions and I've been answering her with lies. Oh and how can I forget? What about Tyler, Caroline? Do you remember him? Are you just going to walk away from someone who loves you – someone who we led to South America just so he wouldn't find you? What if he saw this Caroline? You ask me to trust you and I did, but now I'm starting to think that the person who made the promise is not the same person standing in front of me. I don't think I understand you anymore as much as you think I do either."

Caroline was hurt, but she knew she deserved it. It wasn't that she didn't care about her friends or her family, but she was too focused on figuring out things for herself that she forgot about everything else. Not to mention, with Klaus in the picture, she couldn't just come out and tell everyone. He was the ultimate enemy after all.

Elena deserved an explanation.

"I'm sorry, Elena. I really was going to tell you, but I didn't know how or when. I wanted to figure things out for myself first."

"But Caroline, he killed Aunt Jenna. He tried to kill me. He is not a person I'd trust with my life. How come it seems so easy for you to forgive? It seems to me that you already let him in—like you have forgotten all the pain he has caused us."

Caroline fought back her tears. She was tired, angry and confused. "Elena it's not that simple, okay? I'm sorry for not calling. Really, I am. But I thought you of all people would understand, especially with the whole Salvatore situation you have going on. I didn't want to say this before because I knew you just started your transition and you need to deal with that first, but right now you can't say these things to me when you've done it yourself. I mean come on – Damon killed Jeremy & Vicky. He used me as a plaything. Do you remember that? How about Stefan, "the ripper"? You forgave both of them, as did I."

Elena folded her arms and shook her head.

"At least I'm trying to figure out what I want before it's too late. I'm not the one stringing two people along, playing with their hearts and the fact that they both care about me."

Caroline knew it was a low blow, but the words came out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Elena knocked her over and held her by the neck. They both came crashing to the ground. Caroline grabbed both Elena's arms and managed to pull them back. Punches and slaps were thrown between both girls as each one tried to get the upper hand. Finally, Elena kicked her and Caroline flew across the room, hitting into one of the gazebo's wooden posts and breaking it. She was now covered with dirt and grime from the gardens.

Instead of heading back to retaliate, Caroline held her arms up in surrender. "I can't do this." Tears were streaming down her face.

Elena stood there for a moment, looking down at her friend. A few seconds passed before she finally held her hand out to help Caroline up.

"You're right Caroline. It's just that I can't lose them both."

Caroline wiped away her tears with the back of her hands. "I know that. I'm really sorry for what I said. I do know how it feels to want two people in your life. But we can't be selfish Elena. Just as much as we want to be happy, we should look out for the happiness of the people that we love. Sometimes we have to let people go so that they can find their own happiness. It's because we love them that we set them free. It's probably one of the hardest and riskiest things we have to do, and we can only hope that someday they'll come back to us."

Elena stared at her in shock. "You are definitely not the same Caroline."

Caroline raised her eyebrows.

"Relax Car. This time, I meant it as a complement. You've grown so much. Your dad would be more than proud." Elena said.

Caroline felt her chest grow heavy as she thought of her dad, but she managed to smile anyway "Thanks Elena. You know I feel the same way about you."

"But Caroline can you do me a favor at least?" she asked.

Caroline turned to her friend who now had a more serious look on her face.

"As much as I want to let you do things on your own, remember that I'm always here and that I care about you. Right now I don't understand the Klaus thing, but I can if you talk to me. If you're still trying to figure it out and you want to be on your own, that's also fine. Don't just follow your gut. Make sure to think wisely as well. I just don't want you to get hurt – not now, not ever. I hope you know that. Can you promise that if the time comes when I ask you to trust me, you will – no matter what?"

"Of course I will. I know you have the best intentions – you always have. You flew halfway around the world to find me, didn't you?"

Elena nodded. "Well, I can't get all the credit. Stefan and Damon couldn't sit still that they were the ones who decided to get on a plane in the first place. I couldn't stop them but at the same time I wouldn't let them go find you alone. Now that I know you're okay, I guess its mission accomplished."

"Speaking of Stefan and Damon, where are they?"

Elena looked nervously at her friend. "I couldn't stop them, even if I tried. Where do you think they are?"

Caroline was confused for a second before the truth finally hit her. She turned to the house and realized that Klaus might be in danger. She had to warn him. Even though Caroline was mad at him for the whole compulsion thing, she didn't want him to die. She had the instinct to protect him with her life.

Just before she could rush across the garden and back into the house, Elena grabs hold of her arm.

"Elena, trust me, you don't want to do this"

"I'm not stopping you. I'm coming with you."

Hand in hand, they ran to the back door of the mansion and made their way in. It was a good thing that the human owner of the house was long gone, so they didn't have a problem getting through the door. They quickly made their way down the hallways, trying to find where the three would be.

"Klaus?" Caroline cried in desperation, at the same time focusing her energy on listening in with her vampire senses.

Suddenly, they heard a guttural cry from upstairs. Caroline didn't know who it came from exactly, but at least she knew where they were, which was apparently in her room. She quickly bound up the stairs with Elena in tow, whispering a silent prayer and hoping she wouldn't end up seeing any of the people she loved get hurt.

* * *

Elena was right about one thing. Klaus could hold his own. As Caroline and Elena burst through the door they found Damon bound to a chair with some rope and Stefan withering in pain on the floor, a piece of wood protruding from his chest, mere centimeters away from his heart.

Klaus, on the other hand, was sitting on the bed playing with a stake in his hands. There were creases on his forehead and he looked rumpled, like he just came from a brawl fight – which in fact he had. His skin was beaded with sweat and his clothes disheveled. Nonetheless, Caroline found him beautiful. She was angry at him sure, but drawn to him at the same time.

"If you stab him again, I swear to God I'm going to kill you." Damon insisted, fighting to break free from the ropes that held him.

Klaus stood up and in a matter of seconds; he was already in front of where Stefan was keeled over. This wasn't the same person that held Caroline just hours before. The old Klaus was back, and with a vengeance. Caroline didn't want to believe it. This couldn't be happening.

"Try me." Klaus challenged. He raised the stake over his head with one hand, aiming it at Stefan's heart.

That was all it took. Before Klaus could even think of plunging the stake into Stefan's heart, Caroline knocked it out of his hand and was standing right in front of him. Elena had also rushed to Stefan's aid and was crouching in front of him, blocking him from Klaus view. She was ready and willing to take the blow instead.

Klaus took one good look at Caroline and he lowered his fist. They were now clenched at his sides.

Caroline could tell he was angry with her, but she was too angry with him as well to care. She was not afraid of him either. "No."

Klaus took a deep breath and walked away from her. Caroline was relieved. He wasn't entirely gone – the Klaus she came to know and care about in London.

Damon made a big mistake though, by laughing in response. "So now you take orders from a girl? Who could have known? You're not as bad ass as I thought."

Klaus picked up the stake and hurled it at Damon, nearly missing his heart. It knocked the breath out of him though. Before Caroline could stop him a second time, Klaus moved to where Damon was and held him by the neck. "Now that wasn't very nice of you Damon. To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence? I don't. I do not appreciate uninvited guests in my home but I let you in- alive. Now I'm starting to think it was a mistake." He broke two of the chairs legs off and plunged them both into Damon's stomach.

"I do not take orders from anyone."

With that, he threw unconscious Damon who was still strapped to the chair out of Caroline's bedroom window. He landed on the garden grounds below with a loud thump.

"Damon!" Elena screamed, tears springing in her eyes.

She had already removed the wooden stake from Stefan's heart and the latter was already jumping out of the window to check on his brother.

Caroline, it seemed, was glued to the spot.

Klaus took one look at her and he walked out of the room. The loud bang from the door he shut snapped her back into focus.

"Elena" she whispered. She didn't know how to comfort her friend or what to say after the event they had just witnessed.

"I don't get it Caroline. I really don't. Is that the changed Klaus you were talking about? Because it seems to me that he's the same old selfish and relentless man we both hate. If Damon dies, I will never forgive him for that." Elena sobbed.

Caroline bowed her head, embarrassed. She thought he had changed and deep down she knew in her heart that he had. Damon just irked him with his comment. He wasn't going to really hurt any of them, was he?

"I'm sorry Elena. Really, I am. I know it doesn't seem like it, but he was just thrown off by what Damon said. I promise he wouldn't have hurt any of us."

Elena looked at her with disbelief. Caroline couldn't blame her.

"Come, let's go check on the boys. That should make you feel better."

Caroline grabbed hold of Elena's hand. Together they went back down the stairs and out of the front door. Standing in front of them was Stefan, with Damon leaning against him for support.

"Let me at him!" Damon mumbled.

Stefan held onto his brother firmly. "Not tonight brother."

Damon looked into Elena's eyes and saw that she had been crying. He struggled out of Stefan's hold, but as soon as the latter realized his intentions, he let Damon go.

He walked over to Elena and wrapped her in his arms. "I'm okay Elena. I'm sorry for making you worry."

As soon as they parted, she slapped him. Stefan and Caroline looked on as Elena folded her arms across her chest and explained "That's for your comment that almost killed everyone in the room. What's wrong with you Damon? You of all people should know a thing or two about temper—especially with Klaus. Did you want us to get hurt in there?"

Damon pointed a finger at Caroline. "Why don't you slap her? She's the one who brought us here in the first place. She's the one making out with enemy, not me."

Caroline held her hands up innocently. "Go ahead Elena. If our little brawl wasn't enough for you, have at it again. I deserve it."

Stefan stood in front of Caroline. "Stop it guys. This is pointless. No one is going to hit anyone else in the next few minutes as long as I'm watching."

Elena made her way past Damon to stand in front of Stefan. He acknowledged her presence with a curt nod and when Elena smiled, he knew that very second that she wasn't planning on hurting Caroline. He took a step aside.

Elena grabbed hold of Caroline's hand and held it for support.

"I think you should explain it to them Car" she said.

Caroline didn't know where to start.

"Guys, I'm really sorry for not calling and for not telling you all the details, but to tell you the truth, I don't understand most of it myself. I'm running on pure gut feeling here. It doesn't mean though, that I'm not using my head and that I'm not being careful – because I am. It's Klaus for Christ's sake. I know the risks are insurmountable. But these feelings –"

"Oh no, please don't say you're in love with him?" Damon interrupted.

Elena gave him a look.

"I don't know yet. Maybe, maybe not that's why I'm here. I need to figure this out on my own. I don't want to risk anyone else's life in the process. I thought that if I kept you guys out of it, you would be safe. Now you've dragged your nosy selves into it."

"With good reason Caroline. You know we care about you. We're family" Stefan explained.

Elena gave him a look as well.

Caroline smiled "And I thank you for your concern. Really, I do. But you had no right to burst in the door and try to kill him. Revenge isn't the answer for anything. It will only make things worse. Haven't you guys learned that already? It doesn't make us better people if we choose to succumb to it, does it? It doesn't keep us safe either."

Elena nodded in approval. "She's right. Our vengeful feelings got in the way of what was truly important; which was making sure Caroline was okay. That's why we're here right?"

"You're right. Now we can all go home and live in peace."

Stefan let out a sigh of relief.

Caroline walked over to stand in front of him and gave him a tight hug.

"Stefan, you know I love you and I love Mystic Falls. I will come home eventually, but right now, I have to figure this out. Please give me some time and I promise you things will be better. I can't just go back now. With all this confusion I might just die of depression."

He let go of her and forced a smile.

"I don't trust him Caroline. Neither should you."

"All you need to do is trust me. Have a little faith Stefan. Please." Caroline begged.

He looked from her to Elena, who also had a pleading look on her face. If Elena was willing to let Caroline go, he wouldn't have a choice in the matter. Damon wouldn't fight against it either.

"Okay. But you better call this time or else I'm letting Damon seriously kick some Mickaelson ass. You know, just as much as I do that he's been itching to do that. Deal?"

He held out his hand.

Caroline shook it. "You've got yourself a deal. Goodbye Stefan."

He smiled back at her. "See you soon Caroline."

Elena grabbed hold of Caroline and pulled her in for another tight hug. "I better get the full report. You know what I'm talking about."

She let Elena go and couldn't stop herself from smiling.

"Can we please not have any sexual innuendos about these two? I think I'm going to be sick." Damon called.

Caroline turned to him and waved. "As sick as the thought of you and the other Mickaelson?"

Damon made a face. Elena couldn't stop herself from laughing, even though it wasn't something she wanted to hear.

"You know you love me Damon. I'll be back before you know it"

In minutes, the three of them were gone and Caroline was left alone in the front gardens. She took a minute to regroup before heading back up the steps of the Mickaelson mansion. She couldn't believe she managed to convince her friends to give her some space. She was surprised and comforted by how understanding they all were.

Klaus, on the contrary, was a whole different story altogether. Although she was glad that he didn't hurt Damon or Stefan, he could have. That made her angry, aside from the fact that he compelled her when he promised not to. The thought that he could have killed her friends gave Caroline chills.. She didn't want to be acquainted with the old Klaus. Although that was impossible—he was one and the same, she was hoping he would be different.

Was she hoping for too much?

As she closed the front door behind her and leaned against it, she didn't notice that Klaus was sitting on the top of the staircase.

"Why were they here Caroline?"

She jumped back in surprise, knocking her head against the door. Caroline rubbed the back of her head with her hand before responding. "Why wouldn't they be? They're my friends. They look out for me."

"Looking out for you or trying to kill me? It didn't seem like they were looking for you when they tried to strangle me earlier."

Caroline gave him a serious look. "They were in my room, weren't they? If they wanted to kill you they would have gone to the manlier room not one decked in girls' clothes and flowery perfume."

Klaus stood as Caroline trudged up the steps. She didn't even look at him.

"I don't like that you commanded me back there, like you owned the place"

As soon as she was on the same step as he was she turned to face him – "Oh really, maybe I just didn't care."

She turned away from him once more. She was about to head down the hall to her room when he suddenly grabbed her arm, pulling Caroline to him.

"Caroline, look at me."

She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. Klaus could see that she was angry with him, but at the same time holding back her tears.

Caroline turned away a second later. "What about me, huh? I swear I remember telling you I do not want to be compelled by you. But you didn't seem to care when you did it anyway."

"I don't like that you commanded me back there" she imitated before supplying her own words, "like you owned me."

She broke free from his hold and walked down the hallway without even looking back. She heard footsteps behind her but as soon as she wrapped her fingers around the door handle she whispered, choking back a sob.

"Leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you."

Caroline didn't wait for a response. She stepped into the room and shut the door behind her, shutting her feelings out at the same time.


	16. Torn

**Chapter 16: Torn**

Caroline hadn't spoken to Klaus in days. Everything seemed to be happening so fast that she felt like she couldn't keep up anymore. One minute she wanted to tear Klaus apart. The next, she would want him so bad it hurt. Was it even possible to feel two things at the same time?

She didn't know. She had never felt this way before. With Tyler, things were easy. At the very least, they were less complicated than the circus of emotions she was going through right now. Tyler never intentionally wanted to hurt her. Unlike Klaus, Tyler would even protect Caroline from himself if he had to.

"_Run Caroline. Run"_

As Caroline closed her eyes, she could hear his voice in her head. She was back in the dungeons with Tyler, the same night Klaus was killed. They both thought that they were going to die that night. She did not want to abandon him.

"_No Tyler. I'm not leaving you." _She had firmly insisted.

But she wasn't as strong as she thought she was. It seemed like yesterday when she picked herself up in those dungeons, took one last look at Tyler, and with all the will power she had left in her, she ran. It tore at her heart to leave him then. It still did. Caroline realized that she would always feel terribly guilty of her cowardice, but the fact of the matter was blatantly clear- she left him.

Even if Tyler had survived the ordeal, here she was, once again running away. There were moments, albeit fleeting, in the past few days where she had missed him, but she didn't even pick up her phone and call. What's worse is that she ran away from him and into the arms of the one person he hated most in the world. What would Tyler think of her now? Technically they haven't officially broken up and she was already sleeping with the enemy.

Would Tyler forgive her if he found out the truth? The gravity of her actions suddenly dawned upon Caroline. She realized she was probably the most selfish person in the world for thinking she could have it both ways.

At her present state, Caroline was a mess. She stood in front of the mirror but staring at her own reflection made matters even worse. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair in a messed up bun, and she was dressed down in a tank top and her boxer shorts.

Seconds later, she could no longer help herself. She raised a fist and with one punch, shattered the mirror. It made her feel a whole lot better. Pieces of glass cut through her knuckles, but she couldn't care less. She would rather feel pain in her fist than in her heart. She refused to think about Tyler for any second longer.

Mr. Mickaelson was a different story.

Caroline couldn't block Klaus out of her mind even if she tried. He was down the hall, for Christ's sake. She couldn't understand what he was thinking when he compelled her and attacked her friends. Okay, maybe Damon went a little bit overboard, but Damon was just being, well, Damon. Was that reason enough to take his life? How could Klaus compel her when she specifically asked him not to?

There were so many unanswered questions in her head. She needed an explanation.

Before she could stop herself, Caroline headed out of her room and down the hallway. When she reached the door of Klaus' room, she didn't bother knocking. She grabs the handle, and turned.

At the exact same moment, the door is pulled from the other side. Klaus and Caroline then stood face to face.

"I" They both said at the exact same time.

"Ladies first" Klaus insisted, shortly after.

"I have a lot to say to you Klaus Mickaelson. I know I said I didn't want to talk to you. But I change my mind. Basically what it comes down to are two things. First, I need to know why you compelled me when I told you not to. Second, I personally think your vendetta against my friends was uncalled for." she argued.

Klaus looked puzzled. "Oh is that it? Well I don't understand why you made me look like a fool in there. How about you explain to me why you did that?"

Caroline folded her arms against her chest. She realized she was quite underdressed. Klaus was already in pants and his signature long-sleeved shirt. But it didn't matter. She wouldn't back down.

"I asked you first. And besides, your question doesn't even make sense. Do you hear yourself speaking Klaus? When did I ever undermine your ego? You haven't even seen me try. You're crazy."

It seems that Klaus refused to back down as well.

"Hello, aren't you going to say anything?" she said, waving a hand in front of his face. It happened to be the bloodied hand from earlier.

Klaus grabbed hold of it gently and his expression turned from dark to plain concern "Caroline, what happened? Who did this?"

She pulled her hand away. "It's nothing. Answer my questions."

He still didn't seem entirely convinced, but instead of answering her questions Klaus just stood there. His gaze shifted from Caroline to his feet.

She had enough of this waiting around. The minute Klaus looked up, she slapped him. The cuts on her hand had already healed and what was left was simply dried blood.

"See, it's nothing. Now will you answer me?"

Caroline knew she was pushing her luck and he was probably angry with her now. But that was better. At least then he'd have to say something to her and the two of them wouldn't be standing around in silence anymore.

Klaus put both his hands on her arms and squeezed.

She didn't know what he was thinking, but at that moment her instincts kicked in. She pushed him backward, and because his hands were still on her arms, the two of them toppled over with Caroline on top of him.

"See even now, in my own room, you feel the need to dominate. Blimey Caroline, a man can only take so much, how much more a thousand year old vampire like me who is so used to getting his way." Klaus finally said aloud.

Klaus shifts them over gently so that he is on top. It was a good thing they had landed on his rug. "You see love, I'm not going to change. Not everything can go the way that you want it to."

Caroline nodded. She couldn't argue with that.

"Neither can it go yours, _love"_ she warned, imitating his accent.

Klaus immediately lets go of Caroline and stands up. He turns away from her and she thought at that very moment she wasn't going to get any explanation.

She was wrong.

"You want to know why I compelled you Caroline?" he began, his back still facing her.

Caroline sat up and wrapped her arms around her legs. She wasn't going to interrupt him now.

"It is because I wanted to protect you – not defy you. Contrary to whatever you thought in the first place, I was actually trying to keep you safe. I don't know why we were attacked. I've been hunted for a thousand years and I've always been one step ahead. This time I was caught off guard. My mother must have something to do with this. But the point is, I compelled you to protect you, not because I wanted you to know who's boss" he explained.

He ran a hand through his hair before he continued. Caroline was now standing with her hands hanging on both sides.

"And about your friends… They were the ones who attacked me first. Did you ever think that I was simply defending myself? I was in your room Caroline. I wanted to talk to you and explain when they suddenly barged in and tried to rip me apart. I might have taken it a tad be far when Damon insulted me, but I do not like uninvited guests. Especially those that attempt to kill me. And speaking of insults –"

Klaus turned around. "I do not take orders from you." He pointed at her and for a minute there, Caroline was genuinely afraid.

She was stupefied.

"Bloody hell, now's the time you pick to shut up? Didn't you have a lot of things you wanted to say to me?"

Caroline didn't know if she should be insulted, but she understood his aggravation. It suddenly dawned upon her that she had made a mistake and that she had jumped to conclusions about his actions straight away. She didn't expect to hear this explanation, let alone his good intentions. It was totally unlike him.

"I guess not." Klaus muttered.

He lowered his pointed finger and for a split second, there was a part of him that questioned if he was too hard on Caroline. He pushed away those guilty feelings yet wondered at the same time why her feelings seemed to come first instead of his own.

Klaus didn't want to say anything else he would regret. He turned away from her once more and decided that maybe he should leave her to her thoughts. He took a step forward, when suddenly a hand grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

Caroline let go as Klaus faced her. She looked into his eyes apologetically "I'm sorry for jumping to my own conclusions and not giving you a chance to explain. This whole situation is crazy and I guess I assumed the worst. To be completely honest, it's hard not to. You don't exactly spell – hero, do you? I only stopped you because I thought you were going to hurt my friends, not to wound your pride. I do not want to order you around, just as much as I don't want you to do the same with me. You can't compel me whenever you want Klaus. Don't you remember what I told you the night of the ball? I do. You don't connect with people because you don't try to understand them. You manipulate relationships by buying them off, siring them – compelling them…" she began, her anger building.

She took a deep breath to calm herself down before whispering.

"Is that what you want from me?"

He lifted his hand to cradle her face. "Far from it love."

Klaus tucked her hair behind her ear and Caroline couldn't stop herself from smiling. That was all she needed to hear and even without further explanations, she was already convinced. She felt relieved by what he said and at the same time, it made her insides tingle.

"I feel like an arse for hurting your feelings. But you have to understand that I would do it again in a heartbeat if I had to, only to protect you. Do you know how it feels to watch a person you care about get hurt? I've seen it before. In fact, I've been the cause of your pain one too many times. I don't want to ever feel that way again. I can only save you so many times Caroline and I'm afraid that I might not even be able to save you from myself."

Caroline pouted. "I can take care of myself. Thank you very much."

Klaus lifted his hands in surrender. "I know. Believe me. I'm not saying you can't protect yourself. You're Caroline Forbes - strong, beautiful and full of light."

The way he said the last few words were more of a benediction and it seemed all too familiar to Caroline.

"Do you remember what else I said to you that night Caroline?"

She shuddered. She couldn't possibly think with the way he was looking at her right now. She was distracted enough to be able to process anything else. Klaus wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He gave her a second to adjust to their intimacy—to slap him again or push him away if she wanted to.

But she didn't.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then the bridge of her nose. She closed her eyes, half-expectantly waiting for a kiss on the lips. She had no plans of pushing him away. But she was surprised when he suddenly pulled her close, brought his lips to her ear and whispered.

"I fancy..."

Her eyes sprung open and before he could say his last word, she kissed him on the lips. Now was not the right time. She was still with Tyler. She was still spoken for, wasn't she? She knew she debated earlier on her feelings and the status of their relationship, but that was enough to deal with on its own. She didn't need to hear this from Klaus, especially when it was so hard to believe.

He didn't break the kiss.

Caroline chose to believe that it was because he understood and that he regretted saying those words too soon. Maybe he didn't want her to remember he actually said them aloud? Well he already did the night of the ball, and she couldn't forget that. But this time was different. A lot of things have happened since then.

Whatever his reasons may be, she couldn't think about that now.

Passion took over and it was hard for her to think straight. He ignited a fire in her, pleasuring her like nobody else could. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to his four-poster bed. He laid her gently on the covers, never breaking their kiss.

When they finally broke apart, he didn't say anything at all. All he did was look her in the eye, a gaze full of desire and longing, and then he smiled. It was the first time Caroline had seen a smile so genuine—and it was meant for her. She could barely catch her breath with the way her heart was thumping in her chest.

He leaned closer, kissed her on the lips, and they both couldn't stop themselves from smiling as they gave in.


	17. Too Good to Be True

**Chapter 17**

A loud bang from downstairs woke Caroline up from her sleep. Klaus was nowhere to be found. She quickly bounded off the bed, dressed herself in a robe and headed out of the room to check out what was going on. Suddenly, she heard a guttural cry, one that was all too familiar to forget.

If she wasn't earlier, now Caroline was fully awake. A few steps away from the kitchen she heard another cry from upstairs, one that wasn't too difficult to recognize. She was about to make her way back up the stairs, her heart beating a thousand times faster than it normally would. But she could only choose one.

Caroline looked up for a quick second before hastily making her way to the kitchen and finding him crumpled on the floor, a stake in his chest and a pool of blood - Tyler. She couldn't believe her eyes. Why was he here in the first place?

"Ty-" she screamed, kneeling next to him at the same time. She then pulled out the stake.

Within seconds, he coughed and thrashed about. It was only when Caroline pulled him in for a hug and whispered soothing words in his ear that he realized he was not facing the enemy any longer.

"You came for me" he barely managed to whisper, still trying to recover from the attack.

"Why wouldn't I? Speaking of which, what are you doing here? Who did this to you? What is going on?" Caroline exclaimed, trying to put all the pieces together.

Tyler pulled back, and looked into her eyes before responding; as if he knew his words would break her heart somehow "Klaus."

He was right about one thing. As soon as he said it, Caroline felt like she had been stabbed in the heart. She couldn't breathe. Everything that had happened the past few days flashed before her eyes. "No, no no. It can't be" she insisted, letting him go and quickly standing up.

"You stay here. I'll find him." Caroline snapped, motioning for the door.

She didn't bother to hear his response. Caroline never turned back as she bounded up the stairs. She knew where she would find him. Maybe this was all a mistake. But which part of it – the part that believed the past few days were real or the part where Klaus had once again stabbed her in the back and hurt someone she loved? She hoped it was the latter.

Tears formed at the corners of her eyes, and she tried to hold them in as she barged in her bedroom door. She was expecting to find him attacking his next prey or waiting for her to come in so that she could witness the torture herself. But Caroline was clearly taken aback when she found him collapsed on the ground, similar to Tyler. Klaus was lying on the floor, motionless, with his back turned to her.

She quickly made her way over and once she got a closer look, she couldn't contain her scream.

Klaus' heart had been pulled out of his chest and he was as white as stone. Caroline was too late. He was already gone. Of all the things that could have happened, she never expected this. She never expected to see him gone forever– to be unable to feel his arms around her, hear his laughter, or even argue with him about anything and everything. Earlier she thought she knew the worst, but she was terribly wrong. The loss was slowly crippling her, and this – this was beyond her greatest nightmares

The tears that she desperately attempted to hold back fell all of a sudden and it was all too much to handle. Caroline found herself crumbling to the floor, wrapping her arms around him tightly, searching for his light.

But there was still no response. He wasn't coming back.

Caroline had chosen Tyler, and because of that she lost Klaus. There was no one else she could blame but herself. She would have to live with this choice for the rest of her life. If she only knew… But wait, would she have saved Klaus first if she knew and left Tyler to die?

No. Caroline didn't even need to think twice about that one. She couldn't leave her friend after all that they've been through. She would have figured out a way to save them both. "I'm sorry love. I'm really sorry" she whispered apologetically, meaning every word.

She heard shuffling behind her and suddenly felt arms around her pulling her away from Klaus.

"Nooooooooooo!" she screamed, thrashing wildly, attempting to break free of his hold.

"Caroline" he said soothingly, trying to calm her down.

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!" she screamed once more as they moved further away from Klaus' lifeless body.

"Caroline" he whispered once more, "he's gone"

"I said no." she screamed, using all of the strength left within her to break free. Without even looking up, she turned and threw him across the room.

The second she realized what she had done, she looked at the person she threw across the room.

And that was when she really woke up.

Caroline turned to where lifeless Klaus should have been and his body was no longer there. She was in fact, no longer in her bedroom but standing in the middle of Klaus' master suite. It was all slowly coming back to her – the mindless banter, the lovemaking and finally succumbing to slumber, both of them wrapped in each other's arms. Caroline had just lived through another vivid nightmare.

"Ughhhh" he groaned, as the man she threw across the room struggled to get back on his feet. Caroline snapped out of her thoughts, and made her way over to help him. It was Thomas.

"I'm sorry Tom. Are you okay?" she asked, helping him up.

Thomas brushed himself off and forced a smile. "Nothing I can't handle Miss Caroline. I just heard you scream and I was worried about you. I know I shouldn't have just barged in, but with Mr. Mickaelson out, I couldn't help it. It was then I found you standing there, talking to yourself. When I tried to wake you up, you threw me across the room. What happened? Are you okay?"

Caroline pulled him in for a hug, recalling the ordeal she had just gone through. "Yes. It's a long story, but I am glad it was only a nightmare. I'm sorry for throwing you across the room like that. Let's just say I was really angry"

"I wouldn't want to get on your bad side then." Thomas teased, as he let go of her. "In the meantime, I'll leave you to get dressed. Let me know if you need anything." It was then that he made his way out of the room.

Caroline was once again left with her thoughts. What she refused to think about while she was awake seemed to infiltrate her dreams. Aunt Jenna had appeared once before, telling her that Klaus needed her. And it was in that same dream, after all the confusion, that Caroline had discovered her light. Now, with all the back and forth between Tyler and Klaus, the inevitable choice she had to make was now haunting her. Klaus had almost died.

It was hard to recover from that, especially when the person was nowhere to be found. Klaus had left her side and she didn't even realize it. Caroline felt her cheeks turn red. What could she expect? It wasn't as if they were in some sort of relationship, right? It may have bothered her that he wasn't around like the first time they had made love, but she would never admit that.

Caroline gave into the temptation and what does she get for it - an empty bed and a really bad nightmare? Well, there's that, and the look he gave when he almost said that he fancied her, the way he brushed back the hair falling in her eyes and drowned her in his kisses, and the way he called out her name like a benediction when they both finally found fulfillment.

The pros seemed to greatly outweigh the cons – in that very moment, at least. Klaus Mickaelson might actually fancy her. She knew he had said this once before, but things were different now. He never got the chance to say the words when she interrupted him, but she couldn't help it. She didn't know if it was because she couldn't handle it if it were a lie, or because he was actually telling her the truth. Either way, it scared her.

What was even scarier was the way she felt now. She may have chosen Tyler in her dreams, but would she do the same in real life? After all the things that she had been through with Klaus in the past week, would it be enough for her to choose him over Tyler, who had been with her for years? With Tyler out of the question, how did she feel about Klaus?

It was an age-old debate she had in her head for days, but it seemed clearer now than it did before. He angered her with his compulsion, infuriated her with his pride, hurt her when he almost killed everyone she loved – and yet, she understood it all. Only someone who actually cared would be thinking about it as much as she did.

In spite of all his flaws and misdirection, Klaus was starting to reveal more of himself to her. She could see how hard it was for him, especially after being betrayed by too many people in his life. Klaus was never incapable of love. He just never knew what it was or how to express it. Caroline may have felt sorry for him in the beginning, and simply gave in out of curiosity, but her reasons for staying weren't the same. If it was simply compassion and curiosity then she knew she wouldn't have given in a second time. She would have left with Elena, Stefan and Damon when they came for her.

It was more than that. Caroline remembered what had come to her mind the first time they had slept together—that she might just be in love with this man? It wasn't too far from reality now. Klaus was trying to be honest with her, and protected her with his life even before when they were mortal enemies. There may be a thousand reasons why this wouldn't work, or that this could all be a lie and she was the dumbest girl alive for believing him – but that wouldn't change the way she felt. There was no turning back now.

Caroline brought a hand to her cheek and couldn't help but laugh to herself. She had to be crazy – completely mental. She had only spent a number of days with him, but everything that was going on in her head wouldn't change her heart. However way she spun it, it would always come down to the fact that she was falling in love with him.

As soon as Caroline admitted it to herself, it was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. How else could she explain the intensity between them or the dreams she keeps on having? What about the fact that no matter what horrible, selfish and childlike thing Klaus attempted to do to her and her friends, she had forgiven him – or at least listed to his explanations and took them as the truth. She was still in London for crying out loud, even after debating each day if she should leave.

It was funny how all this confusion, even back in Mystic Falls, led to the simple conclusion that she might be falling in love with a thousand year old Original vampire. On second thought, that didn't seem so simple at all.

Caroline quickly headed over to the dresser and grabbed one of his robes. No wonder Thomas quickly left the room. She was only dressed in her underwear and one of Klaus' shirts. How embarrassing. Klaus would have been furious. It was only after she put the robe on that she opened the door.

Thomas was still there, standing watch. He bowed to her in greeting. "Would you like some breakfast Miss Caroline? I apologize again for the intrusion earlier."

Caroline smiled back. "Yes please. Let's just keep that between us, shall we? We wouldn't want to get your master angry. Speaking of which, where is he? Will he be joining us for breakfast?"

Thomas shook his head. "Oh Mr. Mikaelson? He had some business he had to settle."

"What kind of business?" she asked curiously, as they walked arm in arm down the hall.

Thomas looked at her apologetically. "He didn't say. But he looked really angry as he left the mansion earlier in the day."

Caroline couldn't help but worry. After finally admitting to herself the way that she felt and going through such a ruthless nightmare, she needed to see his face – at least to know that he was okay. She was also a little apprehensive about what angry Klaus would do. She knew better than to interfere, but that wasn't her – and Klaus would have known that by now.

"We need to find him" she declared.

Thomas squeezed her arm. "I don't think that's a good idea Miss Caroline. I can tell that you care about Mr. Mickaelson but sometimes it is best to leave him alone."

Caroline shrugged. "Is it – the best? Maybe someone should actually make sure he is all right for a change instead of leaving him to make foolish decisions out of his anger. You know what he is capable of. You've seen how he could kill someone in a fraction of a second and even compel us whenever he wanted to."

Thomas' expression didn't change. "That may be true, but a man needs his space as well Miss Caroline. Take it from experience, even though you care and worry so much about him, the best thing to do sometimes is to let him go."

His words sounded oddly familiar. It was pretty much the same thing Caroline asked of Klaus when he compelled her.

"But he's Klaus. He's dangerous and rash and unpredictable. Somebody else might get hurt," she insisted.

Thomas let go of her arm. "I am not going to stop you. But I will say this– the Klaus who left the mansion this morning was not the same Klaus who walked in here months ago. And I should know – I've been here long enough."

Caroline cocked her head to one side as she realized that they were already at the bottom of the stairs, near the front door. "Are you trying to convince me to stay or to go?"

Thomas was smiling now. "Neither. I'm just simply telling you an observation."

She might not have known Thomas for very long, but he had no reason to lie to her. He trusted his instincts, and by the look on his face, he truly believed what he had said. Caroline only needed a second to make her choice.

She took his arm once more. "So, where's breakfast? I'm starving."

Thomas looked almost relieved. His smile grew wider as he responded, pointing in the direction of the dining hall. "Right this way, mademoiselle."

Arm in arm, they made their way into the room, leaving their worries behind them.

* * *

After Caroline had her fill of warm blood, from a fresh blood bag of course, she felt somewhat rejuvenated. Although it would never compare to blood from the vein, it was good enough for her. She was used to the lack of human blood in her system and had developed a great sense of control over her cravings in the short amount of time since she's turned.

She went back into her temporary bedroom and took a quick shower. After she had put on one of her vintage shirts, pulled on some jeans and applied some make-up, she realized that she had nothing else to do. She had to keep herself busy so she wouldn't think of Klaus. He was taking an awfully long time finishing up his "business" and although it was already mid-afternoon, there was still no word from him.

There was no bother pretending. Caroline dragged the stool from the vanity and placed it next to the windowsill. She then grabbed a pad and a pen that she found sitting on one of the side tables. Instead of pacing back and forth around the room trying to figure out where he could have gone, she would sit down and keep watch. She had a pretty good view of the driveway should he decide to come home. At the same time, she would keep herself distracted by attempting to draw. Klaus may not be the only one with an artistic eye.

She really couldn't stop thinking about him even if she tried. Caroline started to visualize the way he looked while he was resting, like Klaus did to her once before. She sketched the curls of his golden locks, the bridge of his nose, his stubble. As soon as she finished she realized it looked more like a lion than a man – or a cartoon. It made her laugh.

Caroline realized that sketching people was harder than it looks. Even though you can get a good visual in your head, it takes a steady hand and precise strokes to make it right. Caroline then felt humbled and appreciative of the sketches he made of her. He must have put in a lot of thought. She tore off her cartoon Klaus and tucked it in her back pocket. She wouldn't be able to live through the embarrassment if he found it.

She would never hear the end of it from Tyler either; that is, if Tyler ever spoke to her again after this. Caroline put the pen and paper aside, and covered her face with both hands. She knew she had left him on the beach in search for answers, but developing feelings for Klaus halfway across the world and not telling him was wrong and unfair to him, no matter what way she justified it. Tyler was searching the corners of the world for her, but here she was snuggling up to his mortal enemy.

Would he ever forgive her after what she did? If the roles were reversed, Caroline knew she probably wouldn't – at least, not right away. So she couldn't expect the same from Tyler. If she chose to walk the dangerous path and plunge into some kind of relationship with Klaus, she could lose Tyler forever.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She quickly headed over to it, expecting to find Klaus, but when she finally opened it, Thomas stood before her instead.

He had a somber look on his face and immediately Caroline could sense that something was wrong.

Before she could say a word, he said, "I was instructed to take you to the airport, Miss Caroline. Would you please gather your things? We must leave immediate—"

"Where am I going?" Caroline interrupted.

Thomas didn't respond. She stood there for a moment, trying to figure out what to do next. While she finally realized that she cared about Klaus, here he was driving her away. But she couldn't just throttle Thomas for answers. It looked as if he didn't have them himself anyway as he walked away from her.

If she wanted answers, she would have to get them herself. Without giving it a second thought, she put on her coat and boots, dumped her things into her bag, and it only took her a few minutes before she finally bounded down the stairs and out the front door.

Thomas was already in the car waiting for her.

Caroline placed her bag in the trunk before taking a seat in the passenger side. "He's changed, huh? She couldn't help but retort strongly.

Thomas was silent.

For the first few minutes, Caroline tried desperately not to cry. In less than 24 hours, she had gone through a whirlwind of emotions. None of this was normal. One minute she was about to cry over losing Tyler and now she was losing Klaus? The decision wasn't just on her shoulders after all. They had to choose her too.

Caroline distracted herself by starting out the window, taking in the view. But it was no use. If she was confusing, Klaus was worse. He had hurt her numerous times and yet in spite of that she was drawn to him like gravity. Caroline refused to believe that although it may not be real love for him, it can't be that he didn't give a rat's ass about her either. He would have killed her if that was the way he felt. She gave him so many opportunities to do so.

He wouldn't just send her away.

It was then that she remembered his sweet words about protecting her from danger and also from himself if would come to that. The truth suddenly dawned upon Caroline.

"Stop!" she screamed.

Thomas immediately stepped on the brake and they came to an abrupt halt.

"Miss Caroline, are you alright?"

She turned to face him before replying. "No Tom. I'm not alright. You see, I care about this man and because of that, I can't just walk away. You have to take me back. Your master and I have some unfinished business to take care of."

"Plus, he can't boss me around" She folded her arms across her chest.

Caroline almost jumped when there was a sudden knock on her window. Thomas expression turned from dismal to amusement. Caroline wanted to punch him in the face.

They were supposed to be going back right now, and she couldn't focus on anything else. If Tom wasn't going to take her, she had vampire speed. She could always run back herself. There was another knock on her window.

Caroline was about to put down the window, scare off the person and run back to the mansion when suddenly she came eye to eye with Klaus. She was surprised to find him here—at her door. So that's why Tom was so amused.

Caroline immediately unlocked the door and Klaus extended his hand out to help her out of the car. As soon as she got out, she couldn't believe where she was. They were at an airbase of some sort and parked a few yards away from them was a private jet.

"You have got to be kidding me. What? Where?"

She was in a state of shock and instantaneously let go of his hand. Klaus seemed to be able to read her thoughts then. Or he must have noticed the steam coming out of her ears. Before she managed to punch him in the face or even attempt to tear him apart, Klaus jumped a few feet away from her.

He waved a finger in her face. "Now don't be angry love. But this is where I've been all day, arranging matters for our departure."

It took Caroline less than a second to stand right in front of him so they were nose to nose. Klaus smiled, admiring her guts. He would never let anyone that close to him, not unless it were on his terms. But with Caroline, it was like he lost all control.

He leaned over, but just before their lips met, she picked her up off the ground and carried her fireman's style. He made his way towards the private jet.

Caroline giggled at first, but then she realized how embarrassing she must look. She pounded his back with her fists. "Klaus, put me down!"

"As you wish love. You always like ordering me about, don't you? " He said, pulling out a piece of paper sticking out of her back pocket before putting her down.

Caroline was blushing as she pulled down her shirt and brushed the hair from her eyes. She didn't notice the paper in hands before she heard him laugh hysterically.

"Is this supposed to be me sweetheart?"

Why did she even think she could hide it from him? Caroline looked up and found that he was showing her the portrait that she made earlier. She had forgotten it was in her pocket in the first place. Now he was laughing at her, and her cheeks grew hot in response.

She tried to snatch the paper from his grasp, but he held it out of her reach.

"No, of course not…You're so egoistic Mr. Mickaelson. Not everything is about you."

His smile turned into a frown. He lowered his arm and was about to tear the portrait into shreds. But Caroline reached out her hand, stopping him.

"Okay okay. I'm sorry. I admit it. Not everything is about you. But some things are—and this is one of them."

He folded the paper and tucked it in his own pocket, amused with her confession.

"You could have at least kept your laughter to yourself though, so I wouldn't have been embarrassed to admit it in the first place" she said, shrugging.

Klaus took a step forward so they were once again inches away from each other. He brushed back her hair and cradled her face.

"Sweetheart, don't be so quick to jump to conclusions. It's the first time anyone has ever attempted to draw me for a change, so pardon me if I couldn't believe it when I first saw it. And for the record, I wasn't laughing at you, I was simply overjoyed. Even when I myself thought it was impossible, you actually managed to surprise me once again."

She smiled at his sweet words. "If you say so."

"Ehem" someone coughed from behind, interrupting their haze.

While Klaus looked obviously annoyed, Caroline welcomed the interruption. "You knew it all along Tom, didn't you? Why didn't you tell-?"

"Is everything ready?" Klaus interrupted.

Tom bowed to his master and handed over Caroline's bag. "Yes, sir. Everything has been prepared as you requested. Have a safe flight."

Caroline turned to Klaus. "He's not coming with us?"

Klaus shook his head. "Not this time, Caroline. Now say your goodbyes, we need to go."

Klaus nodded curtly in respect to Tom before walking over to a hybrid male flight attendant standing nearby. He kindly ordered the latter to take the bag to the jet and wait for them there.

Tom reached out his hand, waiting for Caroline to shake it in return, but instead she pulled him in for a hug. "Thank you Tom – for everything. You don't know how much this all means to me. This isn't goodbye. I'll be seeing you soon okay. Take care of yourself."

She could hear Klaus squirm from behind. Caroline quickly let go of Tom, placed a chaste kiss on his cheek before skipping over to where Klaus stood.

"So, before I get on the plane, where in the world are we going? Spain? Greece? Switzerland?"

Klaus looked more relaxed as Caroline took hold of his arm. He was now smiling ridiculously.

"We're going to Mystic Falls."

Caroline's jaw dropped. "What?"

"Home love."

She pointed to the plane. "In that?" She refused to believe all of it.

"Why not? Didn't you just say you were willing to get on the plane in the first place? Does it matter where we go?" he asked her, chuckling.

Caroline was too shocked for words. Her silence could only mean one thing. "I guess it does" he said, still leading her to where the plane was parked. She didn't refuse.

As they made their way over, Caroline couldn't help but replay the events of the past week or so in her mind. She left Mystic Falls in search for answers, but until now she wasn't even sure if she's found what she's been looking for. Sure, she already admitted to herself that she was falling in love with Klaus—and it made things in her life all the more clear to her. But it would only ruin everything else. Elena had a hard time believing her, let alone Stefan and Damon. How much more Tyler? She left Mystic Falls before because she lost herself, but now that she has found her way back, she might lose everyone else.

And she wasn't even sure Klaus felt the same way. If she only could, Caroline would live in the past week as if it were on repeat. She didn't know if she was ready to face everyone back home.

But it was apparent that Klaus didn't feel the same way about Mystic Falls.

This was what it came down to. Caroline refused to keep it in any longer. If he wanted to go home – to face the danger lurking in Mystic Falls and the judgmental looks on all her friends – so be it. But she had to know the way that he felt about her. She couldn't live in darkness any longer.

"Niklaus" she whispered.

They stopped right before the boarded the private jet.

"Yes love?"

As soon as he said the word _love_, Caroline tensed up. Even though she didn't want to keep it in any longer, she was suddenly at a loss for words. Maybe this wasn't the right time to admit it. Maybe she shouldn't say anything at all.

"Why are we going back to Mystic Falls all of a sudden?" she blurted out unexpectedly. "It's just I have-"

"Don't you want to go home?" He interrupted. Klaus then let go of her arm and turned to face Caroline. He once again lifted his right hand and cradled her face.

At that very moment the only person Caroline could think about was Tyler. How could she tell him the truth about the way she was feeling without tearing him apart? The truth might drive him over the edge and he might do something he would regret. Tyler had become a big part of her life, especially during her transition, and she couldn't lose him too.

Klaus could tell Caroline was bothered. Before he could ask her to explain, she said "It's complicated."

He cocked his head to one side. "I'm really sorry to hear that love but we don't have a choice. I would stay here if that's what you wanted and if it were only up to you and me. But it isn't. You do know that your friends might have left us alone, but not completely. Stefan and Damon still don't trust me. I don't blame them for that, but I think you need to go home before this gets out of hand and innocent people get hurt."

"Since when do you care about me or about anyone else?" Caroline uttered.

Klaus sighed, taking a deep breath to calm his mounting anger. "When I said I would protect you Caroline, I meant it. You need to go home. Tyler isn't the only reason, if that's what you're getting at."

She remained silent and Klaus continued "I heard Rebekah is in town as well and I do wish to pay my fugitive baby sister a visit."

Caroline bit her lip. A part of her really wished that Klaus would stop speaking in riddles and be straight with her about his feelings or the reasons why he wanted to protect her, but Caroline knew he was different. That would be asking for too much.

"But"

He silenced her with a passionate kiss, one that made her forget what they were talking about in the first place. He was more than proud to have the power to do so. Between the chemistry in the air and the thumping of her heart, Caroline could feel his strength, and also how happy he was as he laughed against her lips.

She broke away first and almost raised a fist to slap him.

She caught her arm. "Twice in one day. We have yet to beat the record. You're so feisty and spontaneous Caroline, you remind me of my little sister. I expected you to do as much. But let me tell you a little secret."

He leaned over so his lips were barely touching her ear, making Caroline tingle all over. "I like you better."

Caroline frowned in response. "Fine, let's go already. I can't believe we are leaving London and heading back home together. What has the world come to, really?"

Klaus leaned back and smiled arrogantly. "Well what can we do when we have forever? You haven't seen anything yet."

She couldn't help but smile back. Caroline was reminded about eternity –and what it would be like to spend it with him—full of fighting, bickering and abandon, but also a whole lot of passion and adventure.

Klaus interrupted her thoughts when he said, "Let's get this show on the road. Not only is Rebekah in Mystic Falls, but did I mention Kol is in town as well? My brother isn't one to easily get over getting killed. He must be up to something. And I'm pretty sure it isn't good."

Caroline admired his honesty. She didn't need to ask and he was already telling her everything. "And your mother…?" Caroline asked. She was the greatest evil at this point, especially after she managed to use Alaric against them and get him killed in the process.

He shook his head. "No word. But if we all end up killing each other then she wins. She wants us all in the ground after all!"

"Fine let's go."

Caroline took a step up the flight of stairs leading into the private jet, when Klaus suddenly pulled her back. "Wait what was it you wanted to tell me?"

He had a concerned look on his face, and he seemed to be listening intently to what she had to say.

But now didn't seem the right time for sentimentality. "Nothing. I just wanted to say that the portrait I made of you also looks like a lion to me – strong and protective; and well, all _alpha male_" she mocked, trying to imitate his accent.

He didn't believe that it was exactly what she wanted to say to him, but he didn't question it anymore. Instead, he laughed. "The idea is fetching. You have quite the imagination. I'm part wolf love, not lion."

She smiled back.

Within minutes, the two of them were seated side-by-side in the plane as it took off. At first they sat awkwardly, but when the flight attendant headed to the other compartment, Caroline leaned her head against Klaus chest.

He stiffened. Intimacy was never his strongest point. But as soon as she looked up to him and he caught Caroline's gaze and the way her eyes lit up, he knew he was lost. He wrapped an arm around her and once again placed her head against his chest. He tried to warm her up by rubbing his hand against her arm and he could feel her ease into him comfortably – like she always belonged there.

"Thank you." Caroline whispered softly, almost in a daze.

When he didn't respond, she was a little worried. But a few minutes later, Klaus grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through hers. He held it awkwardly at first, like it was his first time. He held on too tight and it almost crushed the bones in Caroline's wrist, but she didn't mind at all. If this wasn't a sign that he cared for her as well, then what would be? She squeezed his hand, letting him know that it was okay and that's when Klaus softened his hold. He didn't let it go.

Both of them couldn't wipe the amusement off their faces as the plane ascended into the skies.


	18. No Other Place Like Home

**Chapter 18 – No Other Place Like Home**

"I still can't believe I'm home." Caroline proclaimed nonchalantly, as the jet came to a complete stop.

Klaus shook his head. He stood and held out his hand for her to hold on to. "Do I hear resentment, love? I thought you'd be happier now that you can see your friends again. It seems I was mistaken."

She took his hand and stood up as well. "Don't get me wrong, I miss my friends. I just don't know if I'm ready to face them yet."

Klaus was about to say something in return, but thought otherwise.

"What?" Caroline asked, calling him out.

"Well," he began, his lips slowly forming a naughty smile; "I was just thinking that I could use another bathroom break. I didn't quite finish my business."

Caroline's cheeks turned red and she couldn't help but smack him. Barely minutes ago they had just come out of making out in one of the bathrooms. If it weren't for the captain's announcement that they were landing, they wouldn't have stopped there.

Before she could say anything, he cradled her face with his free hand and pressed his forehead against hers.

This sent goose bumps up and down Caroline's spine. She could feel the tingling sensation course through her body, and she could barely catch her breath. Right now, all she could think about was how gorgeous his eyes were, how lovely his stubble would feel as he kissed her, and how the air in the room was suddenly warm. She never noticed how good-looking Klaus was until this very moment, and she took a quick second to appreciate that his eyes were on her alone.

Apparently, he was doing the exact same thing. "You're beautiful, Caroline. I know I've mentioned this a couple of times before, but I will never get tired of saying it. I don't think you even understand the effect you have on me. You surprise me, bewitch me, and possess me in ways I never imagined possible."

He kissed her softly on the lips and she couldn't help but smile. Klaus could be sweet when he wanted to be. You can never know when though.

Klaus ran his palm through her hair, slowly trailing his fingertips down her neck, making her shiver in excitement. He then slowly made his way down her arm and back up again, tantalizing them both. It took Caroline all the strength within her not to tear off his clothes right then and there.

He moved his lips to her ear and whispered, "I think…there is an actual bedroom on this jet, sweetheart. I don't think I can make it back to my own bedroom, even if I'd love to throw you in my bed and never let you leave. Let me remind you of how great it can be to be home."

Caroline would have taken him up on his offer, if it weren't for the nagging thoughts at the back of her mind – of her friends, and especially of Tyler. A second ago all she could think about was Klaus, but as soon as he said _home_, all of the memories seemed to flood back in. Even though she couldn't exactly call this a relationship – what she had with Klaus, Tyler still deserved to know. It wasn't as if this was someone she just met on her trip – this was Klaus, everyone's mortal enemy. Up until the past few weeks, she wanted to rip him apart, but everything has changed.

He deserved to know.

Caroline wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in for a hug. Before he could get the wrong idea though, she whispered, "I'm sorry _love_, but you will just have to wait. We've got business to take care of, remember?"

Klaus groaned as they parted. He didn't like the fact that he couldn't always get his way, like he used to, but this was Caroline. He found himself hanging onto her every word, listening for once in his life instead of insisting.

He wasn't afraid to show his disappointment though. Klaus scowled.

"Just to be clear, I didn't say no. I'm just saying, not now." Caroline laughed in amusement, seeing Klaus all unhinged like this.

He couldn't contain himself. He smiled all over again. Klaus noticed though that in spite of Caroline's amused expression, she was bothered with something. He could see the wrinkles on her forehead, the fear and worry in her eyes, and for some reason it was now bothering him as well. He didn't like seeing this expression on her.

"Whatever you're worried about, I can assure you of one thing. I will protect you Caroline. Even if you defy me and make me wait, and even if it comes down to protecting you from me – I will do it. No one will hurt you."

Even though his words made her heart flutter once more, it couldn't stop the sinking feeling in her stomach that had been building since earlier. She knew she would have to face them. She just didn't know what she would say.

"It's not me I'm worried about."

Caroline let go of his hand and began making her way out of the jet. Klaus stood there for a second before following suit.

"Should I come with you then?"

Before they reached the bottom of the steps, Caroline turned to face him. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye, but what she had to say couldn't wait. "Let's be honest here. We don't know what this is," she began, pointing from herself to him. "Or wait, I won't speak for you this time – but I honestly don't know what's going on. One minute we're at each other's throats, the next we are engulfed in flames of passion. And now we're back to where it all began – Mystic Falls. And you know what has happened here, and the hell you put me and my friends through. You want to take me back to your home, but the last time you were there, you almost drained Elena of her blood. Everything happened so fast I can't seem to keep up. All I know for sure is that I can't stop thinking about you, even if I tried. When we were attacked that night in London, I wanted to protect you. When Damon almost ripped you apart, I felt like it was I who was torn into a thousand pieces. I care about you even when I don't want to and even when you make me so mad."

She finally looked him in the eye before continuing.

"You're the only one who can hurt me. But what exactly are we? Enemies, friends, or lovers?"

And just like that, she blurted out the thoughts and questions that had been eating away at her.

He looked like he had been punched in the gut. He was gob smacked. A minute of silence passed, and he still didn't say anything or move a muscle. He just stood there.

What happened to the Klaus that took her places, that called her beautiful, and that lit a fire within her she never knew she had? What happened to taking her to his bed and never letting her leave? What about those dreams – didn't he need her as much as she thought he did?

Apparently, not…Another minute passed, and still – nothing.

Embarrassed by her proclamation and her sudden outburst of honesty, she turned away from him and didn't bother wait a second longer. She didn't want him to see how hurt she was. "I thought so"

She quickly made her way to the bottom of the steps, grabbed her duffel from the attendant standing by and walked away from the jet without even looking back. She couldn't bare to see him, let alone see him gloat over the power he had over her.

"Caroline wait."

She didn't bother turning around, and took another step forward.

Suddenly, he was right behind her, tugging her arm, making her face him. Klaus sighed. "I'm sorry."

Now Caroline was the one at a loss for words. What did this mean? She expected either a proclamation of love, or hatred – but not an apology. She didn't want to argue with him. A part of her hoped he would defend her, say that they would figure it out together. But evidently, she hoped for too much. She knew she wanted him and when it would come down to just that, he felt the same way. But didn't he almost say he fancied her before? What had changed? Maybe it was all just another plan that Caroline fell for. But she couldn't think about that now.

She forced a smile.

"I hope you find what you're looking for then. I don't need your help. I can take care of myself just fine. I did it before you came into our lives and I survived, didn't I?"

Instead of responding, he suddenly grabbed her hair and kissed her on the lips – hard. At first she tried to push him away, but eventually ended up kissing him back. Once again she was under his spell. She realized she could never be in control with him.

Klaus broke off first.

"This," he began, shaking her. "This isn't nothing. But I'm not the only one with business to take care of."

At the end of the day, Caroline knew he was right. Maybe this wasn't the right time to ask such questions. Klaus may have been the enemy before, but Caroline did things she wasn't proud of either. She needed to fix things with Tyler. It was the right thing to do. Caroline didn't know though if Klaus was just trying to buy some time or he was really giving her the space she needed. Caroline didn't want to argue with him or pry any further. She broke free from his hold, forced another smile, and walked past him towards the exit.

He didn't stop her.

Caroline bit her lip, forcing back the tears. She clutched her duffel tightly, and tried to distract herself with other things. Her nails dug into the palm of her hand that it almost bled. Caroline thought that if she transferred the pain somewhere else, her heart wouldn't be as heavy. She looked around, and just as she was about to make a run for it, she saw a familiar truck pull up out front.

"Matt?"

He opened the door of the passenger's side and called out to her.

"Caroline, it's time for us to go."

The serious expression on his face made Caroline worry. She turned to look behind her, just in case Klaus was what made him so cold – but he wasn't there. Instead, a bunch of passengers from a commercial flight were heading out of the airport. Klaus had disappeared.

Caroline turned to face Matt again. She was surprised to see him, but quickly made her way over. She didn't want him to wait. She dumped her things in the back before getting in the passengers side and shutting the door.

As they headed out of the airport and onto the highway, neither of them said a word.

"So you're not going to speak to me?" Caroline asked, fidgeting with her nails, trying to look casual.

"Ignorance doesn't feel good, does it? Well now you know how I feel Caroline" Matt said, taking a quick look at her and glowering.

"I have to get a call from Klaus, the person I least expect on the planet, and to find out where you've been and that you're actually safe. Our mortal enemy asked me to pick you up. Of course I couldn't refuse – what if you were in trouble? I was too shocked to even say anything. The only minute I was actually able to breathe normally again was when I saw you walking out of the exit unharmed. I didn't even know you left in the first place. Elena has been doing a great job covering for you. Even with me."

Caroline expected this reaction from him, and could tell that he was hurt. It tore at her heart.

"All I can say is I'm sorry Matt. You have to believe me – I really am sorry for keeping you out of the loop. But to be honest with you, even Elena doesn't know as much as you think."

He still concentrated on the road, avoiding her gaze.

"Remember what I told you on the beach, and how I felt? I wasn't lying to you then. I really was confused, and I needed some time to get my life straight."

"And that's how you get your life straight Caroline – by sleeping with the enemy? What happened to you? I thought you were better than this. I would think that after all we've been through, the minute you found out what he wanted, you would have said no – or even jumped at the chance to kill him. Instead you jump on a plane to see him."

Caroline was immediately stung by his harsh words. But none of the things he said were lies. She couldn't argue with him. At that moment, she didn't how to explain herself. He might not even believe any of it, but Caroline knew she would have to at least try.

"You're right. But you don't know what I've been through either. It wasn't as if I went there for him Matt. In the beginning, the trip was really for me. But things changed. And I'm being honest with you when I say there is a whole other side to this story – a whole other side to Klaus that you just don't know yet. He is not as bad as you think."

"Trying to drain Elena's blood, siring more hybrids and wrecking havoc in Mystic Falls are not as bad as you think? Caroline do you hear yourself? Listen to me. I've known you for longer than he has, and I care about you. I know you're vulnerable after the Tyler thing and losing your father, but please Caroline – this is Klaus. He's always up to no good."

Caroline felt this conversation was going nowhere. As much as she could try defending Klaus, his past actions did speak louder than her words. At the end of the day, he needed to prove himself if only to get back the much-needed respect from her friends – that is, if he even cared about Caroline to begin with.

They parked in front of Matt's home and Caroline didn't budge as he got out of the truck. Suddenly someone came out of his front door and was running towards him. "Matt, I have bad…"

She stopped when she saw Caroline. The latter didn't even need to look to recognize whose voice it belonged to – Rebekah. Matt made his way over and stood in front of Rebekah, in between the two women.

"Caroline" she greeted.

Caroline got out of the car and brushed past Matt, standing right in front of Rebekah so they were eye-to-eye. "What the hell are you doing here?" She then turned back to Matt.

He still had the serious judgmental look on his face. Caroline couldn't take it any longer.

She pushed past him and back to his truck, grabbing her duffel. Before she made a run for it, she looked between Rebekah and Matt with judging eyes of her own and said "And you think I'm repulsive."

Caroline then disappeared before any of them could say anything in response.

With her vampire speed, it only took Caroline a minute or two to reach her house. She was mad at Matt but at the same time, mad at herself. How can he be so judgmental of her when she caught him in the act with Klaus own sister? Maybe if she took the time to speak with him, she could have knocked some sense into him. And the way things were going now with Klaus, he would have been able to stop her from all this madness as well.

But it's too late. There was no turning back now.

Caroline stopped for a second to check if there was any imminent danger she needed to be aware of, but as soon as she felt the coast was clear, she bounded up the steps and grabbed her spare key from her bag.

As soon as she stepped into her house, Caroline finally felt relieved to be home. She missed her space. She headed into the kitchen and dropped her bag on the table. There was a note taped to her refrigerator and it was from her mom:

_Caroline, heard you're coming in today. Just had to check on something at the station. As soon as I get back, we need to __talk.__ Love, Mom_

The tone of the message didn't seem as angry as it was worried, and for a second Caroline was relieved. It was nice to see that her mother cared instead of being repulsed by her vampirism. Even if it was hard, it seemed that Sheriff Forbes had finally accepted her daughters' fate, or at least trusted her to make decisions for herself. Elena must have been really convincing. Caroline made a mental note to thank her later.

"She needs to see you."

Caroline jumped at the sound of his voice. Stefan was standing right behind her, reading the note on the refrigerator door as well. She turned and pulled him in for a tight hug.

"Stefan, how did you…? You scared me."

Stefan laughed. "That's a first. I really meant what I said though, Sheriff Forbes listens to Elena and buys her story, but she really needs to see you and know if you're okay. She hasn't been sleeping well since you left."

She let him go. "What are you doing here?"

"Do I need a reason to check on one of my best friends?"

Stefan still had a serious look plastered all over his face and Caroline knew him too well to think it was just that. "Stefan, what is it?"

"Matt called." He admitted, taking a step back, prepared in case she would react badly. "I take it you found out about Rebekah?"

Caroline clenched her fists at her sides before nodding. "Why didn't you do anything about it?"

"Are you honestly asking me that question? It's the same reason why I'm not tying you to a chair right now and knocking some sense into you about Klaus. It's your life Caroline. Matt may be human and that makes him vulnerable, but that doesn't mean he deserves to be controlled."

"But Rebekah killed Elena and almost got him killed as well. I never thought either of them would forgive her for what she had done."

Stefan explained. "I never said Elena was okay with it. In fact, she isn't. She is only beginning to come to terms with the fact that she's a vampire. And then she finds out that Rebekah is trying to beg Matt for his forgiveness, and that they've been hanging out. That was all it took to make her snap, with her heightened emotions and everything. She almost killed Rebekah. If Matt hadn't stepped in the way, we wouldn't even be having this conversation right now."

Caroline cocked her head to one side "I've missed a lot, haven't I?"

Stefan smiled. "Indeed you have. But knowing you, I'm sure you'll be able to catching on with things quite quickly. You have a knack for figuring out things before most people do. And for the record, Matt and Rebekah aren't romantically entangled – at least, that's what he tells me. Exploding with tension, but all they've ever been doing is talking."

"I'll take your word for it. Though you think I have it all figured out, I actually don't. Rebekah needs to watch her back though. The second she steps out of line, I snap her neck."

Stefan laughed. "Elena's exact words as well."

Caroline thought to herself for a minute, before grabbing some whisky from a cabinet and pouring herself and Stefan a drink.

She took a sip before asking "Does everyone know I'm here?"

Stefan gulped down his own drink before responding. "Well, not yet. I hurried here as soon as Matt called. But if I stay here any longer Elena will wonder where I am and eventually find out you're already in town."

Caroline couldn't help but smile back as she thought of her two best friends. At least one of them has gotten her love life sorted out. And for Caroline, always Team Stefan, she had made the right choice. "So I take it the Damon- Elena situation has been diffused?"

Stefan nodded. "I think so. We're together now, and I trust Elena. Damon has made his share of mistakes but he's my brother. He isn't exactly our number one fan, but he seems to be dealing with it just fine; that is, as long as I keep Elena happy. In fact I'd say we haven't spent this much time together – well ever? I won't be able to keep him out of our lives even if I tried anyway."

"That's great news Stefan. I'm so happy for you."

Caroline couldn't help but feel a tad bit jealous as well. Stefan looked at her as if he could read her mind. "He's back at his house Caroline. I couldn't help but check before I came here. He seemed to be pretty out of it though, what happened?"

She expected as much. "Thought so. It's a long story Stefan."

Before she could continue, they both heard some shuffling on the doorstep.

"Guess that's my cue to leave. Your mom's finally home. Don't think this conversation is over yet though. You know what I mean."

As soon as her mother walked into the kitchen, Stefan was gone, and the glasses had already been cleaned up and stowed away.

"Mom" was all Caroline said, cheerfully.

Sheriff Forbes walked straight over to her and pulled her in for a hug. Caroline tightly hugged her mother back. It was like she had been gone for years, instead of a few weeks.

As soon as they let go of each other, the tender moment was over. Her mother glared at her. "Cell phones were invented for a reason. You know the least you could have done is tell your mother where you were. I tried tracking you but obviously you've done your research and covered up your tracks. What did I ever do to deserve this from my own daughter? Vampire or not, I'm still your mother and you still broke the rules."

"Mom" Caroline whispered softly.

"No Caroline. It doesn't matter if you're superwoman. Every person has his weakness and I'm still your mother. Elena said you went all the way to Europe to find yourself. Couldn't you have found yourself in another town instead of another country? The thought alone—how did you even afford it? I just – I don't know you as much I thought I did."

Her mom at made her way across the room, further away from where Caroline was standing frozen. Her arms were folded across her chest.

Caroline knew her mother was scared and worried, and that's what made her say those things, but a part of her was still human. She still got hurt. Maybe her mother hadn't accepted like Caroline thought she did. This thought made her sick. She needed to fix this.

In a quick second, Caroline was standing in front of her mom and she gave the latter a light kiss on the cheek. "You do know me mom. And I love you for caring so much and being so worried about me. But Elena was telling you the truth. I needed to find myself, and the Salvatores didn't mind sending me on the trip because they knew I needed it. I'm really sorry for not talking to you. I just needed some space. After Dad left us and I turned into a vampire, I didn't know what to do and I felt completely lost. But now I'm not going anywhere. I'm here now and I promise the next time I leave you'll either be coming with me, or you'll know it first."

Sheriff Forbes, with her occupation and instinctive faculties, could tell that there was more to this story. Caroline wasn't lying, but she hadn't gone into detail either.

At the same time, though, she knew better than to ask any more questions. As long as her daughter was safe, and she was here, the rest could follow. She could question her daughter some other time.

She grabbed Caroline's arm. "You're still grounded."

Caroline responded with a hug. Her mother didn't hate her. "I've missed you mom." And with a smile, Caroline let go, grabbed her duffel from the table and headed out of the kitchen and into her own bedroom.

As soon as she opened her bag to fix her belongings, she remembered him. It took so little for her to think about Klaus—the dress she wore when she first saw him, the portrait he drew of her the morning after, his smell all over her clothes. She didn't want to admit it, but she really did miss him.

And if that wasn't enough, at the bottom of her bag she found a rolled up piece of paper. She knew it came from him. She unraveled the parchment and found that he had replicated her portrait of him, but with charcoal. He was definitely more artistic than she'll ever be.

She took another good look at it, and realized that he had drawn the portrait of himself more beast-like; that is, more lion than Original vampire or man. She didn't know exactly why, but she hoped that it wasn't because he thought that was the way she saw him. He was strong, and fearless and protective –but not beastly.

She held the picture close to her heart as she lay down on the bed, on top of the clothes she just emptied out of her bag. She didn't bother to put back her things any longer. That could wait. As she closed her eyes, she couldn't help but drown in her thoughts of him.

* * *

"Caroline."

She snapped out of her thoughts and immediately sat up at the sound of his voice, dropping the picture she was holding on the floor. She didn't know how long she was asleep, but he woke her up instantly when he called out her name.

He was dressed in a pair of cargo shorts and his t-shirt was torn and dirty. He looked like he had just gotten out of a fight.

Before Caroline could scream, Tyler covered her mouth with his palm. He looked her in the eye, "Relax. It's not what you think." He gave her a comforting gaze before staring down at the picture and then back at her.

He shook his head and pursed his lips, trying to hide his anger.

Caroline put her hand on top of his and slowly removed it from her lips. She stood then, so they were inches away from each other. She smiled at him in an attempt to calm his nerves.

It still didn't wipe off the frustrated look from his face. Caroline couldn't blame him though. After all, the picture was all the evidence he needed. She would have to explain everything that happened, and didn't know how to stop him from getting hurt. However way she would put it – it would still break his heart.

Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes, and she was surprised when Tyler suddenly pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry Caroline."

She forgot how great it felt to be wrapped in his warmth. She felt safe and cared for, which made her feel worse about what she did and what she was going to say next. She was the one who was supposed to be apologizing.

As soon as he let her go, Caroline expected to see him hurt, but instead there was fire burning in his eyes, and his expression had turned dark. He had tried to comfort her, but he couldn't mask his hatred even if he tried. It was like she had already lit a burning rage within him without even saying a word. She took a step back, fearing him for the first time. "Tyler, what is going on?"

He knelt down, grabbed the picture from the floor and walked over to the waste basket next to her dresser.

Caroline didn't know what he was going to do next, but was still glued to the spot.

Tyler then took out a lighter from his back pocket, set the photo on fire before dropping it into the trash. They both watched it burn for a second before Caroline finally reacted.

She dashed into the bathroom, and hurriedly came back out with some water to kill the fire.

"Caroline, is everything okay in there? I smell smoke" her mother called from outside.

Caroline then ran to her bedroom door and leaned against it in case her mother tried to barge in. "It's fine mom. It's just one of my candles. There's nothing to worry about, I promise."

As soon as she heard her mother's footsteps move away from her bedroom, she sighed in relief. Then she turned to Tyler and instantaneously crashed into him. He landed flat on his back as Caroline pinned him to the ground.

She knew he had every right to be angry with her. But she couldn't help but feel hurt by his actions. The portrait meant more to Caroline then she realized – until now that is. "What the hell Tyler?" she shrieked, pounding her fists against his chest.

He used his arms to stop her, grabbing both her wrists. He then managed to turn them over so that he was now on top of her.

"Caroline, listen to me for a second. I'm sorry I reacted so badly. I was so blinded by my anger that I wasn't thinking. But right now I need you to focus, and to hear what I have to say. I know you won't believe me, but I swear I'm telling you the truth. You know how much I love you."

He let go of her wrists and placed both of his arms at her sides so that he was now on all fours.

"He tricked you Caroline. Klaus used you to get to all of us. I blame myself for not begin able to protect you from him, but I did try to find you. When Elena finally told me where you were, and I went to London, his butler told me that you both had already left and that you were heading home. I was afraid I was too late, but then I came to your house straightaway and found you lying on your bed. I swear Caroline, if he had hurt you, I wouldn't be able to keep myself from ripping him apart. But I will protect you now. You have to stay away from him and I promise you, we'll keep you safe."

Caroline felt like she was knocked into a brick wall. A minute ago the only thing she was worried about was telling Tyler, and trying to convince her friends to give Klaus a chance. Now everything that she believed in was turned upside down.

She pushed him backward and slowly backed away from him.

"What are you talking about?" she blurted out in disbelief.

He didn't bother to close the distance between them. He looked her in the eye before explaining "It was all part of his plan Caroline. He tricked you. Klaus was only distracting you so that you would let your guard down. He knew that eventually we would do the exact same thing. He knows just how much all of us care about you and so he used it to his advantage. And that would be the moment he would strike. Why do you think he brought you home at this exact moment, when all of his siblings are here as well? He wants to get his revenge on all of us. He probably wants to kill us, but make us suffer first before doing so."

Caroline felt like she was going to be sick. He stomach was all in knots and it was like all of the air in the room disappeared. She couldn't breathe.

"How do you know all of this?" she managed to choke out, struggling to get to her feet.

In an instant, Tyler was at her side, helping her up. She tried to break free from his hold, but he steadied her and still held his hand in hers, squeezing it reassuringly.

He paused before admitting, "Rebekah. She's afraid for her own life and believes that after he's done with us, Klaus will put her down as well. And she couldn't have that, so she decided to help us."

Caroline shook her head. This was too crazy to be real. "Rebekah, really Tyler? The same Rebekah who killed Alaric and Elena, and almost killed Matt—she suddenly decides to be on our side?"

Tyler leaned his forehead against hers. "You don't have to trust her Caroline, but trust me."

He wasn't lying. Caroline didn't know what she was supposed to do. She felt like she was going to faint. There was a part of her that actually believed everything Tyler was saying. She was angry with the way she had to hear about it, but angrier with Klaus for lying to her and making her seem like a fool. He tried to kill her and torture her once on her trip, how could she fall for his act? Her heart was heavy, and it even felt like it had been pulled out of her chest. That part of her just wanted to cry in embarrassment and pain.

But there was the other part—the part that refused to believe this could be real. As Caroline closed her eyes for a second, all she could think about was the way Klaus held her in his arms, the way he looked at her longingly before he took her to his bed. She remembered the way he protected her and all his sweet words.

It seemed like a never-ending debate. Now she felt as confused as she was when she first left Mystic Falls.

"It doesn't make any sense Tyler" she said, opening her eyes to face him.

"What, that I ask you to trust me? He is lying to you Caroline. All of those feelings you have are a part of his manipulation. Even the whole ice cream thing was planned. Everything that went down was to make you trust him and make all of us vulnerable. You have to believe me."

She was stunned silent.

He surprised her by kissing her softly on the lips.

Even though it felt comforting and safe, Caroline couldn't help but feel sorry for him. All of a sudden it became clear to Caroline that there was no turning back now. Things have changed between them and they couldn't go back to the way things were before.

She placed her arms against his chest and pushed him backward.

"Tyler, I"

From the look on his face, she could see how hurt he was. After all that they have been through, here she was, breaking his heart. Even after he had said all of these things about Klaus, she still didn't choose him. Caroline was surprised at how he managed to keep his composure and his anger in check.

He closed his eyes, grunting something unintelligible below his breath. And before long his fists were clenched at his sides. As soon as he opened his eyes again, they were burning with rage, and he gritted his teeth, struggling to control his anger after all.

Caroline was not afraid of him, but she couldn't stay and wait for him to calm down. She would continue apologizing later, but right now she had to find out for herself if all of this was real. If Klaus wanted to kill her, it wouldn't make a difference if she prodded him for the truth. Besides, he didn't know what she did and wouldn't see her coming. "Tyler, I trust you, but… I need to go."

Elena suddenly appeared at her door and saw what was going on between Tyler and Caroline. She took a good look at her friend, acknowledging her presence. "I heard you were in town, and I got a missed call from Tyler, I didn't mean to…"

But before Elena could even finish her sentence, and before either one of them could think of holding her back, Caroline jumped out of the window and ran.

"Caroline, wait" she heard Elena call from behind

Then she heard another sound of struggle and a loud thump like someone had been pinned to the ground. "Tyler you don't want to do this. Let her go. Calm down. You need to tell me what's going on"

Caroline blinked back the tears and tried to shut out their voices in her head. The right thing to do would be to turn back, help her friends and try to figure out a better plan before walking into the enemy's trap. But she couldn't help herself. She was confused, enraged, and heartbroken all at the same time. She would not wait a second longer to see him.

As she continued to push harder with every step in the direction of the Mickaelson' mansion, her final thought scared the hell out of her. If Tyler was telling her the truth, and all of this was Klaus' manipulation, she would have to kill him.

And the fact was - she would rather kill herself.


	19. Knocked for Six

**Chapter 19 – Knocked for Six**

Caroline stood in front of the Mickaelson mansion for about half an hour, debating with herself on the best course of action. Her mind told her to walk away and to think of a better plan then simply showing up unannounced and unarmed. But she couldn't hear herself think over the pounding in her chest and the tears that she desperately tried to hold back. Every bone in her entire body seemed ready to strike and the anticipation was killing her.

The answers were right in front of her. Once again she would be putting herself in danger, both physically and emotionally, but Caroline couldn't care less. Hell, she'd been so confused for a long time, found a sense of peace in Europe, and now that she was finally back home in Mystic Falls, the confusion was starting up again. She wouldn't allow that to happen.

Before she could think twice about her decision, she barged into the mansion and straight into the living room. Of all the scenarios that played in her head, she wasn't prepared for this one.

Klaus was standing in front of an easel, a paintbrush in one hand and a palette in the other. The only light in the room was coming from the fireplace, which he was standing directly next to. As far as Caroline could tell, the canvas he was working on was completely black, with the exception of a red mass in the dead center. Not to mention, the room didn't just smell like fresh paint, but also reeked of alcohol and smoke. Caroline spotted that in the corner of the room there were a number of empty whisky bottles, enough to put out a pair of burly men. As for the smoke, she didn't want to know where that came from.

Caroline made the mistake of looking at Klaus again. Instead of wanting to rip his throat out, as originally planned, all her anger seemed to dissipate. There was thick tension in the room, that much she could tell, but right now what she really wanted to do was brush back his curls, wipe the frown lines off his face and pull him into her arms.

Caroline shook her head in disbelief, biting her lip in utter frustration. What was she thinking? She came here to find answers, not make assumptions of her own. She knew she had feelings for the Original hybrid, but she couldn't act upon them stupidly – not again.

Suddenly, the smell of a different kind of smoke broke her thoughts. Her head quickly snapped up, just to find a small fire burning from a wastebasket that was placed next to his easel. If she didn't stop it now, it would eventually burn the wood and the house could go up in flames.

As if he were in a daze, Klaus simply dropped another piece of paper into the trash, picked up another whisky bottle and sat on one of the davenports that were facing the fireplace. He didn't bother acknowledging her presence.

Caroline moved like she had been struck by lightning. She quickly found a large enough container, filled it with water and rushed to douse the fire in the wastebasket. It tore at her heart when she saw that the last piece of paper he had thrown in was the silly portrait that she made of him. Maybe this truly was the end.

She shook away the thought. As soon as Caroline was convinced that it was no longer a threat, she boldly made her way in front of him, blocking his view of the fire. Even that didn't make a difference. It was as if he were looking straight through her. Klaus finished the whisky bottle he had in hand with one last swig and Caroline had to close her eyes when he suddenly stood up and threw it into the fire, missing her by barely an inch.

"Niklaus" she screamed.

That was when he finally took a good look at her. He smirked before his expression turned dark – almost angry and sad at the same time. Most of all it seemed as if he were appalled by her presence.

"You could have done that with the portraits, you know? Instead of almost burning down your house..." Caroline said through clenched teeth. She was just as frustrated and enraged as he was. Her fists were now tightly squeezed at both sides, as she attempted to channel her pain there instead of letting her tears fall.

Her next words seemed to tumble out of her. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you. I could have let this house burn, but that wouldn't be any fun, would it? After all, this is between you and me. Now mister alpha male – give me your reason."

There was a chilling silence.

Caroline struggled to find her voice but managed to grate out, "Tell me this isn't real. Tell me that they are all lying to me and that this was not part of your plan all along. Tell me that what happened in Europe was not just another distraction."

She took a step towards him so that they were standing face-to-face. Klaus may have been surprised by her audacity, but he didn't show it. The expression on his face was still full of pure anger. Ironically, though, in those brief seconds she just stared at him, it became blatantly clear to Caroline that she had already fallen in love with him. No matter what he did in the past, she would stand by him and protect him. It would take some time to forgive him, but what are a few years when you have forever. Klaus made her feel strong and confident in her own skin, unafraid of anyone or anything. She wanted him to find the same strength and light in her as well.

Caroline took a deep breath and without any pretense whatsoever, she grabbed his stained shirt, pulling it—and him, close. "Tell me that I'm not the only one who feels something here… and I"

She wasn't able to finish her sentence. He rolled his eyes and managed to laugh, shoving Caroline out of his way and putting some distance between them. She was stunned silent. "And you'll what Caroline? Use this to your advantage yet again? I don't know what thrill you seem to be getting out of whatever this is you do time and time again, but I will not fall for it—not anymore."

He pointed at her and then back to himself. "Is this always how things are going to be between us?"

Caroline look him in the eye and for a quick second she thought she saw sadness and longing in his. He turned away and she must have been gravely mistaken. His next words were a death sentence. "Well it doesn't matter anymore. Even if I've said you're beautiful and you and your friends seem to have concluded that it can be some sort of distraction, let me be perfectly clear. You disgust me. You have no sense of self-preservation and you act too rashly that you constantly walk into your own trouble. I guess blondes really are…"

She had heard enough. Caroline should have listened to her friends. Klaus wouldn't change – not for her, not for anyone. He was still the selfish, cold, heartless original hybrid he's always been. She didn't bother letting him finish. She raised her fist and was about to attack, which made Klaus pause mid-sentence. But her hand was shaking. Even though she wanted to kill him so badly, her body didn't seem to cooperate. She couldn't bring herself to actually do it.

"This can't be happening" she muttered under her breath.

"But of course it is. Isn't this what you wanted all along? So have at it Caroline, save some of your pride and actually _try_ this time. You dare insult me again by pretending that you aren't here as a distraction and that the whole trip we shared was all part of your plan. You can stop your act Miss Mystic Falls, stop all of the lies and do what you came here to do."

She shuddered, still glued to where she was standing.

"I turned Stefan into the ripper, almost drained Elena of every single drop of blood in her body, sired your boy Tyler, and even daggered my own family to their graves. You know what you want to do and so just do it" he bellowed, enunciating his last three words as if they were an order.

Caroline didn't budge.

"Oh bloody hell," Klaus growled. He pushed her against the wall and pinned her wrists to her sides with his hands. His body was crushed against hers, making it all the more difficult to breathe. Caroline could see that his teeth were bared and he was ready to sink them into her flesh, a bite that would eventually kill her. How dare he accuse her of lying? What game was he playing this time by turning the tables and provoking her?

She didn't care anymore.

She looked at him straight in the eye with no fear, and didn't resist or fight his advances. He must have been somewhat shocked by her actions. He cocked his head to one side as if questioning her, testing what she would do next. She still didn't fight back. Caroline believed he wouldn't hurt her in spite of everything that he said, and even if she were wrong, she'd be dead and wouldn't have to worry about the heaviness that was already building in her heart.

Klaus snarled in frustration. Caroline was surprised when she saw that a single tear fell from his eyes. She watched it slowly trail down his cheek and drop to the ground. Refusing to see anything else that will tug at her heartstrings and pain her heart, Caroline immediately shut her eyes. In the past few minutes alone, she had gone from anger to desperation to confusion to sadness and now to heartbreak. She truly was as weak as Klaus thought she was.

She couldn't say the same about him though. He then tightened his grip on her, this time bringing one of his hands to her neck, attempting to choke her.

So this is how it ends, Caroline thought to herself solemnly. She runs into the lion's den and willingly gets killed. She was tired of all this confusion, of his manipulation, of being disappointed and losing herself again and again. Maybe this was the best thing. If Katherine hadn't turned her into a vampire, she could be living a completely different life. She should have died that day, just like her father wanted her to – so maybe this was her fate. She deserved to die for almost getting her friends killed once more.

"You do it." She managed to choke out, mimicking his tone. She could feel his breathe against her skin, edging closer to her neck.

But then he did the unthinkable. He threw her across the room, and without even taking a second look at her or saying another word, he made his way out of the room.

Caroline didn't know what was going on, but this wasn't supposed to happen. She quickly opened her eyes and picked herself up. She tried to follow him out, but as soon as she attempted to step out of the room, there seemed to be an invisible wall holder her back. It was similar to the barrier that held Katherine in during the masquerade.

Klaus pointed a finger at her coldly and said "Death would be too kind. So much for your honesty Caroline; you tell me about how I don't let people in because I compel them and that I don't connect with people because I don't even try to understand them. But I did – I tried to understand you and where does that leave me? You are even worse than I am. You don't even need to use any of your vampire abilities to manipulate people. You just pretend to care even when you don't. You tell me to be honest but you know nothing about honesty or loyalty or even love"

Caroline didn't even realize that she was crying. She was so confused by what was going on, she didn't know how to explain herself. From the look on his face there was some sort of misunderstanding going on, but she couldn't put it together. It was as if Klaus thought that she was manipulating him instead of the other way around like how she thought it was. Caroline didn't know if she was once again falling into a trap, but what else did she have to lose? Her instincts were telling her that Klaus wasn't lying. There were greater forced involved, using them and that she wasn't the only one in danger. Now if she could only explain that to him.

She avowed convincingly, trying to break through the force field. "Klaus, listen. You don't know what you think you do. I'm not sure what is going on exactly, but it's not what you think. I…"

Her sentence was cut short when suddenly someone stabbed her in the back, knocking the wind out of her. She felt the vervain poison permeate her system and she knew she had barely seconds left, especially since she hadn't fed in days. She dropped to the ground and looked up at Klaus painstakingly.

He stared back at her sinisterly.

"Nik…" was all she could mutter, her voice coming out as barely a whisper now. There was too much that needed to be said, but couldn't find the words. Tears trickled down her face as she realized the inevitable. He wasn't going to believe her and that this was really the end. Whatever chance she thought she had with him was ruined now. Caroline's vision blurred but as she slinked away her tears she saw the person who stabbed her making her way to Klaus.

It was Rebekah.

"Now where were we brother? Oh yes, my apology. I'm sorry for killing Elena. You have to realize that I thought you were dead. Well at least now you know how sorry I am. Now we're even. Consider this as my apology, saving your life. I knew you wouldn't have it in you to do it yourself, even though your speech sounded pretty convincing. She was manipulating you, working with our mother behind your back even though she pretended not to. She must have made some sort of deal, a promise to spare their lives in return for your demise. Like I said earlier, you've known me your whole life and trust me when I say I really am sorry about your blood supply. At least you have your life."

Klaus took one last look at Caroline, which tore at his heart, before nodding at his sister. "You're the only one who has stood by me in spite of everything."

Caroline was losing consciousness now, but she clenched her fists until they bled in an attempt to force the poison back before it would completely take over her. It seemed to be working, well at least she thought it did. Everything seemed hazy, but she had to do something. Klaus was in danger. She was surprised Rebekah had something to do with this, but what was her motive? There was something really fishy going on. As she blinked back the dark corners slowly taking away her vision, she was taken aback by what she saw next.

Rebekah walked out of the room, made her way towards her brother and the latter was just about to embrace her, something he never did before and she quickly pulled out a dagger and stabbed him in the heart. Caroline couldn't believe her eyes. Now this wasn't right at all. Rebekah was the only other person in this entire universe that Caroline knew would fight for Klaus. This couldn't be happening right now.

As if she could sense Caroline's wavering alertness, Rebekah turned to the latter and smiled wickedly. "I love my family. But they are an abomination." If only she had the voice, Caroline would have screamed. She recognized who it was immediately. She didn't know how it happened or why. She was supposed to be long gone, unheard of for months especially after Alaric died. The recognition sent a chill down Caroline's spine.

Rebekah was not the enemy – no, this was far worse—she's back. The witch is back.

Before finally succumbing to the darkness, her voice came out as a faint whisper. "Esther is back."


	20. The Witch is Back

**Chapter 20 : The Witch is Back**

"Caroline, you have to wake up. Please come back to me. Come back to us."

Caroline opened her eyes to find everyone gaping at her, and Tyler's arms wrapped around hers.

"Tyler" she whispered, albeit barely audible.

"You scared me." He let go of her only to brush back the hair falling in her eyes.

"We can have this sappy reunion later. Can we kill him now?" Damon persuaded from behind, pacing back and forth across the room.

Instead of responding, Tyler turned to Elena and the latter immediately rushed over to help Caroline to her feet. "I told you he was dangerous, Elena. Now do you believe me? I know that you've always believed in the good in everyone, but he is not one of those people worth saving. Look at what he's done to us yet again. You never know what that bastard has planned." Tyler began explaining. He pointed to the Salvatore brothers who were standing across the room. "He tried to tear them apart, tried to drain you of all your blood, turned me into a hybrid and now look at what he's done to Caroline."

Caroline shook her head in disbelief, as if she was missing something. She couldn't quite remember why she passed out in the first place, but there was a big part of her that was insisting Klaus was not at fault. This temporary amnesia has never happened to her before as a vampire and she was praying it would end already.

"Wait."

Elena turned to her friend, with a serious look plastered all over her face. Caroline looked more confused than ever and so she tried to explain. "Take a deep breath okay, and please don't run out on us again. Let me explain. As far as we know, Rebekah and Klaus tricked us into believing they have changed so that we would trust them. And now that we do, they are finally carrying out their plan to kill us. They wanted the pain to be worse than simple bloodshed- emotional and all."

"How do you know all of this? And if they were trying to kill us, then why are we standing in their own living room?" Caroline asked, still refusing to believe that this was actually happening. As far as she could remember, Klaus had taken her on such an adventure in Europe, and she had enjoyed it, at least, most parts of it.

Stefan walked over to where they stood and Caroline looked to him for the answer to her question.

"Kol. He was extremely mad at Klaus for trying to kill him again. He knew the only way to get back at his brother was to ruin his plans. Klaus revels in always being one step ahead of us, and Kol wanted to hurt his brother by ruining everything" Stefan explained, his arms folded across his chest.

"And as for your second question, do you think we wouldn't look for you and make sure you were okay? We knew it was a risk to come, but we needed to save you. Give us some credit here, we came prepared." He then took out the white oak stake from his back pocket. "Sadly though, we haven't had the chance to use it. They're not here."

Caroline saw a worried look on Stefan's face as the latter fidgeted with the stake in his hands.

Elena left Caroline's side, took the stake from Stefan's hand and wrapped her arms around him, in attempt to calm his nerves.

"Calm down, we're still safe. Everyone can sense your fear in the room, and it isn't helping."

Stefan relaxed as he pulled Elena close. Caroline couldn't help but stare at the two, and the looks of concern and love that passed between them. There was a tinge of jealousy although she was really happy for her friend.

"Oh please, brother, save the romance for later. I know you think that something's wrong, and even though I agree with you, our witchy friend said she had it covered. You've always told me to trust her, so shouldn't you be doing the same? She would have told us if something was wrong." Damon insisted, walking towards the group. "Bonnie has a plan."

Caroline couldn't quite process everything, and only believed her friends half-heartedly. She spaced out for a minute as she tried to concentrate hard and remember what had happened in the past few hours.

"And it looks like Barbie's still not over the fling. Still thinking about his lips pressed on yours? This is not a fairytale sweet…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Tyler left Caroline's side and threw Damon across the room. Damon immediately stood up to retaliate, but before he could even reach Tyler, Elena stood in front of him, blocking his view. "Stop it Damon. This isn't helping anyone. We should just leave and regroup someplace else so everyone isn't on the edge."

He gave Elena a look, before walking past her towards the exit.

Caroline looked over to where Damon was headed and that's when she remembered.

Klaus and Rebekah had been staked right in front of her eyes, right where Damon was walking towards. Caroline had remembered everything - the paint and alcohol, the argument with Klaus, Rebekah taking her down, and then -.

"Stop." Caroline screamed, and Damon turned to face her. Everyone was now waiting for her explanation. "You don't know what you think you do. You're wrong."

She looked from person to person. It could be anyone in the room, pretending to be part of the group, and then they could all be dead in a matter of seconds. She had to play this right before any of her friends got hurt. She was the only one who knew that they couldn't leave the room, and that there might be a traitor among them.

Stefan slowly walked over to her. "Caroline, what are you talking about?" He tried to grab hold of her arm, but she backed away from him. He then looked into her eyes and saw her fear.

Tyler wasn't happy about it. Caroline's expression had turned from utter confusion to fear, and he wanted to be the one to comfort her. He knew they weren't in a good place, but at the same time Caroline had to believe them. She had to know that neither one of them would hurt her and that she was the one who couldn't accept the truth. But before he could make his way towards her, Elena grabbed his arm. He was about to shrug it away when she whispered, "She's afraid Tyler, Stefan has always been good to her. Just let him do this."

Caroline heard what Elena said. Even though she didn't want to trust anyone, she stopped backing away from Stefan. He wouldn't intentionally hurt her right?

He took her in his arms and hugged her. "Shh, Caroline, it's going to be okay. Listen to me, it's Stefan, I know animal instincts when I see them. I know that you're really confused and you don't know what to believe anymore, but believe when I say that I am on your side, and that I won't let anything bad happen to you. Remember my promise to you the moment you turned? I will protect you, no matter what."  
Caroline slowly pushed him away. "I know that Stefan. And I believe you. But what did you do to them? Where are Klaus and Rebekah?"

Stefan shook his head. "What are you talking about? We didn't do anything to them. We planned to take them down as soon as we knew you were okay, not the other way around."

"No, no, no Stefan. Rebekah took me down, and then she took Klaus' down, and she was right there.." Caroline began explaining all at once, not making sense to anyone but herself. She pointed across the room to where she had last seen Klaus and Rebekah.

"Barbie, you must have taken a bad fall…" Damon began, but Caroline cut him off with the words that would explain everything.

"The witch is back."

Stefan was the first one to understand what she meant. "It can't be. We destroyed her before, and we thought that when Alaric died, she would have… since…"

"Brother" Damon commanded, turning to Stefan for an explanation.

"Esther."

"Esther as in, the Original witch?" Elena asked, her voice shaking.

"No Elena, Esther as in, the Original bitch" Damon said, "She was supposed to be dead."

Caroline nodded. They all looked as flabbergasted as she was, and afraid -very afraid.

Suddenly, there was an applause coming from behind, interrupting all of their thoughts.

"Looks like you're smarter than I realized, Miss Forbes. But it seems you're a little too late. I'm going to enjoy watching you all perish."

All the hope that they were desperately clinging to was lost. So much for faith and trust and having a plan. It was Bonnie who was standing right in front of them.


	21. To Kill or Be Killed

**Chapter 21 – To Kill or Be Killed**

It took Caroline all but a few seconds to react. She shrugged off Tyler's hold and immediately lunged towards Esther. With fangs bared, she was ready to attack.

Unfortunately, she forgot all about the invisible force field. As soon as she tried to run out of the room, she was thrown backwards, and landed in Damon's arms.

"Now, now Caroline, we wouldn't want things to get messy, now, would we? There's only one way out of here, and that's if I choose to let you go. No matter what you do, you and your vampire friends are stuck where you are." Bonnie explained, looking pleased with herself.

"Not if I have anything to do with it." Tyler yelled, walking straight towards Bonnie. He looked as if he could tear down a whole city if he had to, and yet the latter didn't even flinch. Something was terribly wrong.

"Noooo" Caroline screamed, although she a part of her knew she was too late. The second Tyler crossed the barrier, he fell to his feet. It was as if he had been knocked out cold. Bonnie looked from Tyler to Caroline. "Ah, young love. It's so…blinding. Of course I knew Tyler could breach the barrier, do you think I'm stupid? He should have never underestimated my power. In fact, he should have never existed."

It was then that Bonnie raised both of her hands in the air, performing another spell. Tyler's eyes immediately opened and he screamed. He covered his ears as if trying to block out the pain and rolled back and forth but it was no use. Caroline could hear his ribs cracking, and she had to bite her lip to keep herself from screaming.

"Stop it! This isn't his fault. He's not Niklaus."

Elena had come forward and was now standing next to Caroline and Damon. She grabbed hold of her friend's hand, attempting to calm her as she was already shaking incessantly. The only way they could save Tyler was to distract Bonnie and not provoke her even more.

The sound of her son's name did the trick. Bonnie slowly lowered her arms and placed both of her hands behind her back. As soon as Tyler had regained control of his senses, he turned to Caroline. She could see that he was still clearly in so much pain, seconds away from blacking out, and could only think of keeping him safe. She banged her fists against the invisible wall, trying to reach out to him.

Elena continued her tirade of diversion. "Niklaus is the one who wants to wreak havoc in the world, to create an army of hybrids. Isn't this the abomination you want to get rid of?"

Bonnie seemed to be lost in thought, and this was the opportunity Tyler had been waiting for. He slowly pulled himself to his feet and despite the pounding in his head, he raised his fist. He was ready to knock Bonnie cold; just enough to buy some time to figure out how they can kill Esther.

He didn't stand a chance. Before his fist could even make contact with her skin, he was thrown like a play thing back into the room where his friends were.

"You insult me yet again, hybrid."

Damon pounded on the invisible wall, just as frustrated as the rest were while Caroline quickly made her way to Tyler's side. She knelt down next to him and cradled his face in her hands.

Bonnie walked forward until she was mere inches away from the barrier. "You're right. I should have never brought Niklaus into this world and neither should I have allowed him to craft such pure evil. But I'm back, and I can finally put an end to this enigma."

She then looked Caroline in the eye.

"And I should probably thank you, Miss Forbes. You may not have realized it yet, but you were the key to all of this."

Caroline snarled in response. "Don't you dare…"

But it was as if Bonnie didn't hear her at all. "At first I really did not know how I was going to pull this off. I had to find some way to get you all in one place, and my son can be quite tricky. But you – Miss Forbes, you have these friends who would kill to keep you safe, and to my delight, you managed to get my son wrapped around your finger. I saw firsthand how he protected you in that coffee shop slaughter. So all I had to do was provoke both sides, and voila, mission accomplished. Niklaus may have fallen in love with you and had let his guard down in the process, but you're lack of trust in each other was, well, remarkably convenient."

Caroline was at a loss for words. She scrambled to find an argument, a reason why all the things coming out of Bonnie's mouth were lies. She should have known that something was going on, something bigger than all of her friends and her romance with Klaus. She forgot about the whole incident in London. Indeed, she had been too blind to see this. When she was warned that Klaus had lied to her, a huge part of her refused to believe it was true, and yet she baited him anyway. This was all her fault.

Caroline looked at her friends apologetically. Elena gave her a comforting smile, while Stefan looked at Bonnie angrily. "If you've seen the change in your son, then why do you want to destroy him? Guilt can cripple a man already, and he has a thousand years worth of it to suffer."

Bonnie's gaze shifted from Caroline to the younger Salvatore. "Oh Mister Salvatore, a few months doesn't make up for centuries of destruction. You may have taken the lives of innocents while you were still the ripper, but my son is multiplying that evil a hundredfold. He is not just living in sin, but crafting more of his kind. You are right about guilt, but how sure are you that his intentions have changed? Niklaus' hatred toward me and towards his family has destroyed every part of him that can be saved. And I must return the balance in this world."

"You're wrong." Caroline grated out.

Bonnie ignored her. She lifted her right arm and it was then that Tyler screamed once more and then convulsed. His left arm was now bent in an impossible angle.

Caroline tried to soothe him with words, but Stefan knew better. Even though she tried to fight him on it, Stefan managed to pull Caroline back and thrust her into Elena's arms. He then stood so that the two women were behind him.

Without a word, Damon made his way next to his brother, in between Tyler and the girls.

"What's going on?" Caroline demanded, tears streaming down her face now. "Why aren't you helping him?" She then turned to Bonnie. "I've had enough of this. Leave him alone you stupid old…"

Elena covered her mouth before she could say another word.

Bonnie just smiled.

"Barbie, trust me on this one, you don't want to get involved with him right now."

Tyler growled in response, and as soon as he lifted his head to look at Caroline, his stare was golden. Wolf-like.

Caroline broke free from Elena's hold and said "Oh my. It isn't the full moon tonight- what have you done to him?" Elena looked just as scared and confused as she did.

"Let's test your theory. Tyler isn't the abomination right? Well then, prove it." Bonnie commanded strongly. Esther must have performed a spell that would bring out Tyler's werewolf side.

Caroline felt like her heart had been torn out of her chest. They were trapped. One bite from a werewolf would kill them, but at the same time, this was Tyler and she couldn't let anything bad happen to him.

"Get out of my…way" Tyler growled. His shirt had now been shredded to pieces and he was on all fours on the ground.

Tyler could get out. Caroline knew he would risk it, even if it meant killing himself. She was about to scream that there must be some other way when Bonnie interrupted.

"Oh, before I forget…You can come in now dear."

As if he were compelled, Matt Donovan strode into the room and stood beside Bonnie. There was a large gash above his blackened eye and he looked like he had been beaten up by thugs. He was covered in dirt and even though his fists marked resistance and an attempt to fight back, the odds were obviously not in his favor.

"No." Elena said, her voice coming out as barely a whisper, "You didn't."

"Yes Miss Gilbert, I did." This time it was Elena who attempted to get out of the room and save Matt, but she was just as trapped as earlier. Stefan looked hopelessly over to his lady love and squeezed both fists, attempting to calm himself down.

"This is one hell of a situation we've got on our hands brother. But I've got your back." Damon reassured, still looking over at Tyler, who was now hunched over, breathing heavily and trying to fight back the transition.

Stefan nodded to his brother in acknowledgement.

Matt on the other hand, seemed to be stuck in a daze. He never left Bonnie's side in spite of Elena's cries. "How could you compel him when you're not even a vampire?"

"Do I have to be one to control him Elena? You think you're so special, but the truth is you're simply an abomination. Your mere existence goes against everything nature has provided, and I seek to put an end to that."

Elena shook her head. She was about to respond when Tyler's howl interrupted her.

"Get away…" he said through clenched teeth.

He was seconds away from completely turning, and his instincts told him to bolt – now, before he would hurt any of his friends.

"Step out of the room and he dies." Bonnie proclaimed, wrapping her arms around Matt's neck.

Tyler looked at Damon and Stefan desperately, but he saw that they were just as panicked and confused as he was. They didn't have a choice. If Tyler left the room, his best friend Matt would die. If he stayed, he would have to fight back, or else he could kill Elena, Damon, Stefan and even Caroline.

He didn't have time to weigh out his options. In a matter of seconds, he had fully transformed into a werewolf and he eyed each one of them as if they were his prey.

"He made his choice. Now let's see if you were right Miss Gilbert."

"Elena, get behind me." Stefan instructed, and Elena knew better than to defy him.

Caroline, on the other hand, looked at her friends and couldn't help but feel guilty that this was all her fault. If she hadn't been so rash, they wouldn't be here, and they wouldn't have to be fighting each other. This wasn't how things were supposed to be.

They were her friends.

"Stefan!" Elena screamed.

Caroline snapped out of her thoughts and found that Tyler had pinned Stefan to the ground and his teeth were ready to bite into his skin.

Damon immediately grabbed hold of Tyler and with all the strength he had in him, threw him across the room, nearly missing Elena, who had backed up against the wall. All along, Damon thought that Elena was right behind him, but he only realized his mistake as Tyler picked himself off the ground and was standing a few meters away from Elena.

This was it. The brothers wouldn't be able to get there in time. Caroline could see that Tyler was trying to fight back, he tried to push himself away from Elena, but as soon as he made contact with Elena's eyes, and saw her fangs bared, his werewolf instincts kicked in. He lunged at her, pinning her to the ground.

Caroline screamed.

That was all it took. Tyler turned his face from Elena to her and because of her distraction, Damon was able to push him away and Stefan pulled Elena to safety. He wrapped her arms around her, and Caroline could see that tears were falling from his eyes.

He could have lost the love of his life a second time.

Damon picked himself off the ground and took a few steps backward from Tyler. He was crouched, with a look of rage in his eyes. Nothing could stand in his way now. He had almost hurt Elena.

"Have I proved you wrong? Or are you still up for round two?" Bonnie asked condescendingly.

Tyler roared in response, eyeing his prey once more.

Caroline couldn't handle the idea that her friends might die because of her. She had to do something.

"Tyler, I know you're in there. Baby, it's me."

The wolf lifted his head at the sound of her voice. He looked at her and slowly changed his direction. He was now making his way towards Caroline. As soon as he was close enough, he circled around her, as if marking his territory.

"Caroline, don't." Stefan began, but she lifted a finger to him and he didn't say another word.

Damon still didn't look convinced, but Elena grabbed hold of his hand and held him back before he could try anything.

"Tyler, listen to me. You need to fight back okay. You are not this person. You broke the sire bond with Klaus. You can do it again. You can break free of her hold. All you have to do is try, and I know you can make it through."

He stopped in his tracks and looked at her straight in the eye. She could see a look of extreme anxiety laced with rage in his. But it wasn't directed towards her. He was fighting with himself. He had actually listened to her. Tyler backed away from Caroline even though her fangs were bared and all of his wolf side just wanted to sink his teeth into her skin. He clawed at his own skin, and tried to break his own bones.

It was the most unusual thing, and yet after all that has happened in Mystic Falls, Caroline knew better than to stop believing in the impossible. There was always an exception.

Tyler suddenly crumpled to the ground.

"Enough." Bonnie said. She had loosened her grip on Matt and had performed another spell.

Caroline went to Tyler's side and immediately searched for a pulse. It was barely recognizable, but the faint throbs were enough to convince Caroline that he was still alive. She kissed him on the cheek and tried to pinch him awake, waiting for some sort of response but there was nothing.

Damon walked over to the other side and tried to shake the wolf awake, backing away immediately as a precaution, but there was still no response.

Caroline stood and looked Bonnie straight in the eye. "What have you done to him? You knew it, didn't you? You knew he was more than the abomination you thought he'd be – that he actually had a heart capable of love? He would have fought back, and he would have won."

Bonnie feigned indifference. "To who? Niklaus? You'll know soon enough. No matter what the hybrid showed today, it doesn't change the fact that their existence is against nature. I repeat, this has to end."

"If you can stun him with a single spell, you could have killed us all earlier? Why go through all of this? What made you stop?"

Caroline saw that Bonnie baulked for a second, but then continued anyway "You can't do it, can you? You have seen how your family has changed and you can't bring yourself to kill them. "

Bonnie gave Caroline a disapproving stare. Her friend may be the physical part of the person standing in front of her, but all Caroline could see at the moment is the evil witch. Esther didn't realize she had given away her weakness when she responded. "Well, this stupid body had to keep resisting my plans. It would have been easier if I could have taken a random bystanders' body, but no, in order for me to have this much power, I had to possess a Bennett witch."

Caroline looked at Elena and it was as if the latter could read her mind. Similar to what Caroline had done with Tyler earlier, may be they could convince Bonnie to fight back. If their friend was still in there, which was probably true since she was fighting with Esther, then all Caroline and Elena needed to do was remind her of who she was. Maybe this would give her the strength she needed.

It was worth a shot.

"Trust me" Caroline heard Elena whisper to Stefan. She then squeezed his arm and walked forward. Even though she couldn't cross the barrier, she made sure she was as close to Bonnie as she possibly could. On the other hand, Damon and Caroline stood in front of Tyler's body, as if guarding him from any further harm.

"Bonnie, it's me Elena. I know you're in there. I know my best friend wouldn't want to hurt her friends. Remember when we were trying to take down Klaus for the very first time, and you said that I shouldn't give up so easily. Well I'm not, I'm the strong person I am today because of you. Try to remember, Bonnie, right now it's your turn to fight back."

Esther's expression changes to utter frustration. "Stop it Elena."

Elena knew she was taking a risk but she still wouldn't budge. "Remember Jeremy? I know we sent him away again to protect him but I also know that being away from him hurts you just as much as it hurts me, maybe even more. If he were here, he would tell you to fight back. He'd probably kill me first for putting you in danger, but yes, Jeremy would remind you that you are stronger than this."

Bonnie's hands were now fists at her sides and she screamed. "I said STOP."

Elena stood her ground. She knew she was getting through to her friend, and that their plan was working. She looked back at Stefan for support, and he quickly moved to her side. Caroline nodded to Damon, who remained in front of Tyler, while she took Elena's other side.

Esther was mad. It wasn't hard to tell. Before any of them could say another word, she grabbed hold of Matt's neck once more, and began choking him.

"You better stop before I kill him."

Elena shivered in response. Stefan grabbed hold of her hand, keeping her steady, and Caroline could tell he was trying to figure out a way to get Matt to safety.

"Do it."

Caroline turned to find Damon in his usual arrogant stance, his arms folded across his chest.

"Do it. And then we'll have one less quarterback in the world."

Elena looked at Damon in disbelief. How could he say such a thing when earlier they had convinced Tyler to fight for his life? She could feel the anger brewing, and it wouldn't be long before she would snap his neck and kill him.

Stefan didn't wait for him to say anything else. He let go of Elena and in the briefest of seconds, he was standing in front of him so they were eye-to-eye. "Brother, I swear, you will be the death of me."

Bonnie looked amused, and she let go of Matt.

An applause from behind interrupted everyone, and as soon as they all turned to see who it was, they got an even bigger surprise of their life – Kol Mickaelson was standing in the doorway.

"Hello mother."


	22. Against All Odds

_Hi everyone!_

_As __**Right One In**__ comes to a close, I just want to thank you all for taking the time to read it and for also leaving me a comment or two. This has been such a fun and humbling experience. To be honest, it's the first time I'm actually writing a fan fiction and pushing myself to complete it. _

_I hope it won't be the last. Thank you TVD for introducing me to the lovely Caroline and the sexy Klaus Mickaelson. I owe it all to them and to those who believe in Klaroline, for the continued inspiration. _

_Now, without further ado, let's get back to their beautiful and tragic love affair._

* * *

**Chapter 22 – Against All Odds**

Esther was just as surprised as anyone in the room to see her son standing in the doorway. He may have a large gash on the side of his forehead, blood covering the front of his tattered shirt, but he looked every inch alive. This was definitely not part of the plan. Bonnie instantaneously raised her arms, with every intention to perform another spell, but Kol was quick to catch on. He grabbed both his mother's arms and held them firmly at her sides.

"Mother, is that the way you greet one of your long lost sons?" he asked sternly. To add insult to injury, he kissed her cheek.

Bonnie wanted to strangle him. Instead, as he pulled away, she forced a smile. "My son, it is a miracle that you're here—and alive. What pray tell, are your intentions for coming here today? You could have… run?"

Kol gave his mother a sarcastic look. "You tried to kill me again Mother. Unlike Niklaus, you would actually obliterate me from the face of the earth. So why are you so surprised that I would hunt you down? Do you expect me to allow that and to simply run, only to drop dead in the middle of nowhere? You must be delusional."

Damon laughed as he stared straight at the youngest Mickaelson. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm glad that you're alive."

Elena, Stefan and Caroline forgot all about being angry at Damon, and found themselves just as relieved as Damon was to have another ally – even if it had to be the obnoxious and drastically annoying Kol Mickaelson.

"I don't suppose I would say the same for you, Mr. Salvatore. I couldn't care less for your life." Kol replied, still looking straight into the eyes of Bonnie and holding her arms in place. "Now, Mother, relax. You should have known that we would have found a way out of this."

Bonnie was curious to know what her son had planned. She could hold off killing him right then and there for this. Besides, Klaus and Rebekah were daggered, and Elijah was far from Mystic Falls to be of use to their cause – so she was mostly in the clear. When Kol let go of her arms, she made no move to raise them and perform another spell. Instead, she comments "How interesting."

Kol walked back to where he was standing earlier and he folded his arms across his chest.

"Well I'm not usually interested in your games Mother. But I know what you're thinking. My plan won't work without Niklaus or Rebekah or Elijah." He paused, staring down at his hands before continuing. "Your lack of faith is truly insulting and yet, I simply don't give a rat's ass. Let's get on with it, shall we? Actions speak louder than words after all. And I have a little present for you."

Kol looked up to Damon and gave him a knowing smile before facing his mother.

From behind him, Jeremy Gilbert walks into the room, dressed in a pair of jeans and what used to be a plain white shirt. His face was beaded with sweat and as he quickly glanced over to his friends, they caught his fierce rage-filled gaze. This was no longer the little Gilbert everyone used to know. He was a lot more muscular, and every inch a man. His shirt may be torn in more than one place, and they could all smell the blood trickling down a deep gash on his right arm, but Jeremy didn't seem bothered at all. His eyes said it all – he was ready to kill.

"Jeremy" Elena screamed, attempting to once again break free of the barrier and embrace her brother. When she was denied passage this time, she snarled.

Stefan wrapped his arms around Elena and held her close before barking directly at Kol "What the hell are you doing? He is innocent and you know it. You shouldn't have brought him back to Mystic Falls. You had no right to bring him into his."

Before Kol could say another word and even think of explaining himself, Bonnie lifted her arms and performed a quick spell. Just like Tyler, the youngest Mickaelson fell to the ground, knocked out cold. As Bonnie took him down, you couldn't be so sure if it was actually their mother or Bonnie herself that wanted him out of the picture.

Caroline hoped it was the latter and that they could still get themselves out of this mess.

Meanwhile, Jeremy seemed to be unfazed by the takedown and moved as if he had it all figured out. He looked over to his sister and mouthed the words "Trust me" before he walked over and closed the distance between himself and the witch.

Elena bit her lip to stop herself from screaming. Caroline looked over to Stefan and the look on his face was one of pure desperation. He was worried about Elena, continuing to hold the latter in his arms tightly, but at the same time, he was struggling to find another way to get out of this. He was worried for Jeremy and for Matt who were inches away from the enemy. He wasn't thinking about himself—no, he would put Elena's life first if it would come down to that.

It broke Caroline's heart. She was the reason why they were in this situation in the first place. She shouldn't have been so rash. Now Elena, Damon, Stefan, Matt, Jeremy, Bonnie and basically the entire vampire race were in danger.

Tears fell from her eyes and she couldn't stop them even if she tried. She cried for all of her friends, for the mother she would have to leave behind, but most of all, she couldn't deny it any longer— for Klaus. As Caroline looked over to the doorway, beyond where Bonnie and Jeremy stood, she prayed that the Original hybrid would come into the room and save her life once again – just like he had done on her birthday, and for the second time when he accidentally bit her.

About five seconds later, she realized that she was clinging to such false hope. Klaus must be suffering just as much as she was – or even more. She bit her lip to keep herself from completely breaking down.

"Wake up man. You owe me this. You bit me before and I could have died. Wake up and I don't care if you bite me again, just save him already."

Caroline turned to find Damon with his wrist slit, holding it under Tyler's nose, trying to awaken his wolf side. It didn't work. Panic rose in her chest as she realized that this might truly be the end.

"Jeremy!" Elena screamed once more, ferociously banging on the invisible barrier. Blood trickled down her knuckles as she pounded even harder.

Caroline's attention immediately snapped back to the witch and Elena's younger brother, and she gasped at the sight. Bonnie had her right hand wrapped around Jeremy's neck and he was lifted off the ground as if he were as light as a feather.

"Bonnie, stop. You are not this person. He is innocent and you know it. Both of you – and I mean you Esther – you know that letting him go is the right thing to do. You want to kill us, not him – so let's just cut to the chase. Take me instead." Caroline suggested, moving towards them as far as the barrier would allow.

She started this so she might as well end it. Caroline would do anything she possibly could to save her friends, even if it meant losing her own life in the process. It was what Stefan would do for Elena – for anyone she cared about and loved. Caroline wanted nothing more but to do the same, especially when she believed she was the reason for this nightmare.

Bonnie took one good look at her, and was about to make the trade when Jeremy lifted his hand and reached out to cradle her face. He wouldn't allow Caroline to take his place and even though the witch still had her hand around his neck, choking him, the younger Gilbert remained calmed, and gazed at her with such sincerity and hope.

The purity of heart made Esther immediately let go of him. He took less than a second to recover before he wrapped his arms around Bonnie. He didn't think twice about it.

Caroline didn't know if she should scream for help or keep her mouth shut. When Jeremy used his arm to rub Bonnie's lower back, Caroline was too shocked to say anything else. Less than a minute ago, she thought they were out of options and she was willing to risk her life for all of them, but now Jeremy Gilbert was embracing the enemy and the latter wasn't fighting him off. This was the craziest situation, and she knew neither one of the vampires stuck in that room could have thought things would turn out this way.

Apparently, they had been right about their earlier suspicion. Just like how Caroline was able to calm Tyler down, Jeremy could do the same for Bonnie. Even though the witch had taken control of her body, it didn't mean that Bonnie wasn't in there anymore. No matter how much she tried, Esther would never have complete control.

It was the old witch that had underestimated them.

Jeremy buried his face into her neck, and it was then that Bonnie tried to fight him off and push him back. But all the physical struggling didn't do her any good. He had her in a deadlock and she couldn't lift either of her arms. Bonnie closed her eyes and whispered incoherent words as if trying to perform another spell, but before she could finish what she was saying, Jeremy kissed her on the lips.

Boy did the little Gilbert know how to distract. He might not be able to take the witch down, but he could reduce her hold, maybe far enough for Bonnie to take control of her body once again and use a spell to set them all free. If that worked, then they could find another way to deal with the witch.

Bonnie broke away first and as Caroline looked at her, she could see that her best friend was battling with herself. Caroline could feel her torment as if it were her own.

"Do it." Bonnie said through clenched teeth.

"Do what?" Elena asked.

Jeremy kissed Bonnie's forehead and a single tear was trailing down his cheek when he finally looked up at his sister.

Damon acted as if he could read the younger Gilbert's mind. "Tyler, man, we don't have enough time. Get off your ass already. We need your help. You're the only one who can do this."

The hybrid didn't budge. Jeremy quickly looked into Damon's eyes and nodded.

At that very moment, it finally dawned upon Caroline what Jeremy was planning to do – what Bonnie had instructed him to do. Tyler was the only one who wasn't possessed and he had the capability to breach the invisible barrier. He could take her down with a single snap.

"Jeremy, no…" Caroline began. Her hands were shaking now. There had to be some other way out of this.

Elena must have caught on as well. "Jer…" she said softly, with all intent to sound calm and collected. She couldn't risk Esther figuring it out and getting all riled up. If she were to be in control of the situation once more, and find that Jeremy had orchestrated the whole thing, there was nothing that would stop the old witch from killing him on the spot.

Damon seemed to have other ideas though. He quickly stood from where he was and walked as close to the barrier as he possibly could, and as far away from Caroline and Elena. He whistled to Jeremy and the younger Gilbert caught on quickly.

Caroline wanted to rip him apart. He was only making matters worse. Just like earlier when he provoked Bonnie to kill Matt, he was once again provoking Jeremy to carry out his plan. Caroline couldn't just sit back and watch him ruin another person's life. She was about to give him a piece of her mind when Jeremy suddenly used all the strength he had in him and pushed Bonnie into Damon's arms.

And Damon snapped her neck.

"Nooooooooo! Bonnie!"

Damon was immediately thrown across the room by Stefan, while Elena caught Bonnie in her arms before she could fall to the ground.

"Why, you sick bastard." Stefan growled, anger burning in his eyes.

"Love is sacrifice, Brother. You of all people should have known that. It had to be done."

Damon glanced over to Elena and the latter hissed in response. She looked back at him as if he were dead to her, and with such pain that it ripped him apart as well.

Stefan knew that his brother may have had his reasons, but killing Bonnie was something he shouldn't have done. Protecting Elena was always the first on his brothers' list of priorities, even if it meant sacrificing the people that she cares about. He made that perfectly clear once before when he sent Bonnie to kill Klaus even when he knew that using that much power would kill her.

Stefan thought his brother had changed, especially since he seemed to deal well with the idea of Elena choosing Stefan over him, but apparently he was wrong. He walked over to where Damon was and out of his frustration; he quickly snapped his older brother's neck, putting him to sleep before he had the opportunity to say anything else.

"I will deal with him later." He declared, to no one in particular.

Stefan then rushed to Elena's side.

Caroline was busy trying to revive their other best friend. She has bit into her wrist and was trying to feed Bonnie some of her blood. It didn't seem to be working though. Tears flooded her eyes as guilt and an immense throbbing in her chest took over. This was all her fault.

Jeremy was suddenly right behind her and she moved out of the way.

He took Bonnie's hand and squeezed it tightly. He then leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. This was no fairytale though, and there was still no response. Tears were falling from Jeremy's eyes as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"Bonnie, I know you're in there. Come back. You promised me you wouldn't leave me. Don't break your promise now baby."

Caroline was glued to the spot at his words, while Elena clung to Stefan for support. There was silence for a couple of seconds, save for the sobs coming from the two women.

Bonnie still wasn't moving and Jeremy was beginning to lose it. He tried CPR, tried shaking her back and forth, and when those things didn't work, he cried out to the spirits. He then turned to his sister with puffy eyes and teeth clenched, as if he were seconds away from completely breaking down.

Elena didn't know what else she could do.

Caroline went back over to where Jeremy was, and hugged him from behind, trying to comfort him and give him strength. The latter appreciated the effort, but placed his hands on top of hers, gently pushing her away.

Jeremy turned to Caroline and let out a long low sigh before saying "She told me to do this. She came to me in a dream yesterday and she said she needed my help—that you all needed my help. I asked her what I had to do, and she said I would know when the time is right. She told me not to hesitate and promised me that no matter what happens she wouldn't leave me."

Jeremy hugged Bonnie's body close.

"I love her, Elena. I tried to stay away for a while like you guys told me to, because I thought that was the right thing and that it would help you with your transition. But when Bonnie called out to me asking me for help, I couldn't stay away. If I lose her, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I should have stayed against all odds, but instead I let her go. Look what happened then. If we survive this, promise me you won't send me away again."

Elena reached out a hand to her brother. "I'm sorry, Jer…"

He took it, squeezing tightly. "I still have you. That's what's keeping me alive right now. Don't think that any of this is your fault because it isn't. And Bonnie wouldn't have let me have it any other way, even if I tried. She would have wanted me to save all of you."

Jeremy let go of her hand and once again hugged Bonnie's body to his, lifting her into his arms. He still believed she would wake up even though she was already as pale as stone and had been out for more than five minutes.

Caroline was never a firm believer in prayer but after everything that has happened, she couldn't lose her best friend. She couldn't allow Jeremy and Elena to lose anyone else after they had lost both of their parents, Aunt Jenna and Mr. Saltzman.

She closed her eyes and whispered words to herself, hoping for another miracle.


	23. The Beginning of the End

**Chapter 23: The Beginning of the End**

It didn't work. Another couple of minutes passed, and Bonnie still wasn't responding. She was limp in Jeremy's arms, but the latter still clung onto her tightly, warming her cold and frail body with his own.

Elena whispered into Stefan's ear and he kissed the top of her head, tears springing in his eyes as he slowly let her go. Elena got up and made her way over to her brother. Caroline didn't need to know what she was about to say next.

It was already written on her friend's morose expression. The revelation wrecked her from the inside out and she had to cover her mouth with her palm to keep herself from crying out loud. She couldn't imagine having to be in Elena's position.

Stefan could sense the pain that she was going through and quickly made his way over, blocking her view of the siblings. He opened his arms and Caroline immediately went to him, laying her head against his chest and sobbing softly.

"This is all my fault, Stefan. I shouldn't have been so stupid." she whispered shakily.

Stefan rubbed the back of her head with his palm and tried to calm her down, although he was actually quite upset himself. "Shhhh, Caroline. This is not your fault, okay? Don't even say that. Bonnie risked her life to save all of us and that was not your choice to make."

Caroline knew that he was right, but couldn't quite shake off the guilt. They all wouldn't be in this room in the first place if it hadn't been for her.

"No, Elena!"

And there it was – the cry Caroline didn't wish to hear. Elena must have told Jeremy to let go. Of course he would be frustrated with her. Who wouldn't be if they were asked to give up hope on the one that they love the most?

But Stefan didn't seem to agree with her suspicions. He swiftly let go of Caroline and moved to her side so that they could both see what the siblings were up to.

They were surprised with what they saw. Jeremy was still holding Bonnie in his arms, but Elena was crouched next to where Tyler had been knocked down. They couldn't exactly see what was going on, since Elena had her back turned, but Stefan didn't need another warning.

In a matter of seconds, he materialized at Elena's side.

"Caroline, you might want to give us a hand." Stefan said, glancing in her direction. His expression was no longer dark and pain-stricken. In fact, he looked almost relieved.

She quickly made her way over and found that Tyler had already opened his eyes. He looked dazed and confused with all of them gaping at him, but Caroline couldn't help herself as she dropped to her knees and hugged him.

There was a flash of movement on the other side of the room, and Stefan was quick to respond, breaking up the reunion. He had Kol by the neck against the wall before the youngest Mickaelson could even think of escaping.

It was only then that they all finally realized the curse was broken and that they were free to get out. Matt had snapped out of his daze and he called out for Rebekah, as if seeing her in pain was his last memory. Elena quickly came to his aid and pulled him in for a hug, whispering comforting words in his ear.

Stefan had other ideas planned for Kol. "Why did you have to bring Jeremy into this, huh? He is innocent and he could have gotten hurt. My friend is dead because of you and you think I'm going to let you off -"

"Stefan, stop." Jeremy interrupted insistently, his command coming from across the room.

The younger Salvatore squeezed even harder before he immediately let go of Kol. The latter once again fell to his feet. "Bloody hell, you should be thanking me, why don't you."

Stefan looked to Jeremy for an explanation. "He's right. As soon as I arrived in Mystic Falls, I headed straight to Bonnie's house. When I got there, her front door was wide-open. I thought it was a break-in but then I heard Kol's voice. There was a lot of arguing and just as I was about to head into the room and try to rip his head off for threatening Bonnie, I found that she had daggered him to the ground. Before she managed to see me, I hid"

"Go on Gilbert. Tell him what happened next" Kol encouraged, managing to get up on his feet without any help.

"As soon as Bonnie stormed out of the house, I pulled the dagger out of Kol. We got into a fight, but then he managed to explain to me what was going on, and told me we were wasting time trying to kill each other. He wasn't the enemy. I didn't know if I could trust him so I had to see it for myself. And then here we are"

Stefan was about to give Kol a piece of his mind, maybe not for forcing Jeremy to come, but for attacking him – but it was as if he had disappeared into thin air. Kol Mickaelson escaped, and Stefan knew better than to chase after an Original hybrid.

"Forget about him Stefan. It's not worth it." Elena said.

"Yes Stefan, if there's anyone to blame it's me. I'm the murderer."

Caroline was helping Tyler to his feet when she heard the younger Gilbert's words. "I don't want you to say that Jeremy. You saved all of us."

"Not all of us." he replied, brushing back Bonnie's hair that fell in her eyes.

And then suddenly, as if struck with a jolt of electricity, Bonnie's hand shot up and grabbed his. She blinked her eyes open, trying to get used to the light and in a faint whisper said "Yes, all of us."

Jeremy's jaw dropped, but he quickly recovered from the surprise of his life. He managed to break free of her hold on him, and kissed her softly on the lips. As soon as they broke apart, he wrapped his arms around her.

"I still can't believe that you're alive. I'm never letting you out of my sight again. In fact, from here on out, I will never ever let you go."

Caroline blinked back her own tears as she heard Bonnie's response "I should have never let you leave me in the first place. But I told you to trust me"

Matt, Elena, and Stefan headed over to the reunited couple, and they all couldn't stop themselves from smiling.

"I knew you would make it Bennett. Welcome back." Damon declared, a satisfied smile on his face, as if he knew all along that she would and never doubted for a second.

"Welcome back yourself."

Elena reached out a hand to Damon, but it was Stefan who helped him to his feet. Apologies were in order. "I'm sorry brother. I should have trusted you and your saving powers."

Damon laughed as he pulled his brother in for a hug. "Don't worry about it. Damon almighty to the rescue."

He smiled at Elena and she genuinely smiled back. Damon might be the risk taker, but he trusted Jeremy and Bonnie and in their choices. It might have appeared as if Damon provoked them, but he was simply helping them carry out their own plans. If it weren't for his courage, they all wouldn't be alive right now.

Damon gave Stefan a look and he nodded, as if giving the former permission. The older Salvatore then, without any pretense whatsoever, crushed Elena's body against his, pulling her into a tight hug. "I'm really sorry for putting you through it again. Someone needed to help them, and I had no choice. I'm the selfish one remember. I needed to keep you safe no matter what."

She hugged him back. There was no use arguing. "Thank you Damon."

Afterwards, the three of them went back to celebrating with the rest of the gang. Caroline watched as they all tearfully hugged each other, even the boys – and she couldn't help but ask herself why she was ever confused in the first place. She had all of these people to talk to—the people who would risk their lives to save hers, people who loved her.

It was indeed a humbling revelation.

"Is it really over?" Tyler asked Bonnie, a worried tone in his voice.

"Yes, at least, for now, I think we're in the clear. I saw her on the other side, I don't know exactly if it was death or somewhere in between, but I saw her. The witches were angry with her for hurting innocents like Jeremy and Matt. They also saw how all of us were willing to risk our lives to save each other, and the strength that Tyler had to fight against his urges. It was enough for them to take matters in their own hands. I'm not saying she's gone, because I came back to life before I got the chance to see what they had done."

A look of relief passed through Tyler's face. "I don't think I can ever go through that again. I'm scared I might hurt someone."

His gaze shifted to Caroline, and she blushed. Elena grabbed hold of Caroline's hand and together they pulled Bonnie in for a tight hug. "We always have each other. I repeat, _always_."

Damon made gagging sounds in the background and Caroline could hear Stefan slap him on the back. Tyler just laughed. Matt on the other hand, seemed happy to be around his friends, but at the same time worried about something else. He wanted Rebekah.

Caroline knew the feeling all too well. As soon as the girls broke apart from each other, Elena ran into Stefan's arms and he enveloped her like she had always belonged there. Jeremy wouldn't stop staring at Bonnie, as if he still couldn't believe she was alive. She walked over to him and kissed him on the lips—hard, and that seemed to break him out of his stupor.

The last thing Caroline heard was a muffled, "I meant what I said. I'll never let you out of my sight again."

She was happy for them. She really was. But there was that big gaping hole in her heart that she couldn't seem to fill. All of her friends were here. Tyler was alive once again. But this didn't seem enough. She had to know if _he_ was okay. Even if he didn't want to see her, Caroline just needed to know that Klaus was still around, and then she would figure out how to deal with her broken heart.

"He's alive, Caroline." Bonnie stated, as a matter-of-factly, as if she could tell what was bothering her friend.

But Caroline needed to see it for herself. She trusted her friend but her heart wouldn't let her off the hook that easily. She hated to admit it, but she hoped that he was also looking for her, and that he would want to see her alive, in spite of what he thought she had done – which was lie to him. Caroline mouthed a thank you to her friend, and caught Tyler's jealous and hurt gaze in the periphery. She closed her eyes but instead of finding some peace of mind, all she could see and think about was his arms wrapped around her, his lips pressed against hers, his stubble rubbing against her soft skin.

Her cheeks were turning red, and Caroline was embarrassed to be even thinking of those things.

Meanwhile, Matt didn't need to hear it from Bonnie. He had only stuck around to make sure everyone was okay, but now that things seemed to be settled, he could now leave in search of his own lady love.

Before he made it to the doorway though, Rebekah Mickaelson walked into the room.

Apparently, there was no need for words. She quickly rushed over to him and he pulled her into his arms. "I'm really sorry Matt. I didn't mean to hurt you. She possessed me and I didn't have control and I—"

He cut her midway with a deep kiss.

"Get a room you two!" Damon teased, and this time it was Elena who knocked him in the chest. Matt immediately let go of Rebekah, who still had a surprised look on her face from his public display of affection.

He couldn't help himself and she was glad to know how much he cared, and how much he trusted her in spite of all the horrible things she had done before. Rebekah glanced over to Elena's direction, fearing the disapproval and hatred from the younger vampire, but was surprised to find that she was smiling at her. It wasn't complete forgiveness, but it was a start.

Matt put his arm around Rebekah and held her close. For the first time in her life, she felt like she belonged and that it couldn't get any better than this. All her life she had only one person – Niklaus, but now she knew what it was like to have a family – or at least the start of a wonderful friendship.

Caroline walked over to where the two were standing, and immediately Matt stood in front of Rebekah, protecting her. Caroline thought she should be offended by his actions, but when she realized that she would do the same thing for Klaus if the roles were reversed, she stopped herself from cursing at him.

Rebekah appreciated the gesture herself, but quickly took Matt's hand and squeezed as if asking him to trust her. Afterwards, she stood in front of Caroline so they were eye-to-eye. "I'm really sorry for what I did. I didn't mean to hurt my brother, you have to believe that."

Caroline just hugged her, surprising everyone in the room, especially Matt. "I know that. I heard what you said earlier. But don't get me wrong, we're still not friends or anything and you still have to prove to all of us that you are worthy of our trust and Matt's love. I just wanted you to know that I don't completely hate you."

"Thank you." Rebekah whispered, hugging her back. As if she could tell what Caroline really wanted to know she said, "Kol's with him."

Caroline felt like all the blood had been drained from her body. She quickly backed away from Rebekah and snarled. "You left him with…Kol?"

Rebekah held Matt back before he could lunge for Caroline. "How else would I be here? Kol took the dagger from my heart. As soon as I recovered from the poison, I told him I had to look for Matt and he said he would take care of our brother. What's wrong with that?"

Caroline took a deep breath to calm herself before responding. Rebekah didn't know about what happened on their trip. "Klaus and Kol got into…a fight."

"Oh no." Rebekah said, realizing her mistake. She knew her brothers and how they always wanted to one-up each other.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you when it really isn't your fault. But I have to go. I have to make sure he's okay." Caroline said in a hurry, getting more worried and agitated over Klaus with every second. She gave Rebekah's arm a squeeze before she made her way to the door.

Stefan blocked her way.

"I'm coming with you. Whether you like it or not, I will not have you running into a lion's den again."

Caroline didn't want to argue with her friend, but she couldn't have Stefan complicating things further. If things went badly, she didn't want any of them caught in the crossfire.

"Stefan, I'm only going to ask you once. Just trust me on this one okay? I know what it looks like. You think I'm getting myself into trouble all over again and I'm not thinking straight. I can't assure you that everything will be okay, but what I can tell you is that I'm strong enough to deal with it and I can handle it on my own. I need to do this for myself. I need to face him and get it all over with. You know how I feel about him Stefan, and even though you don't believe me when I say this, I'm sure he cares just as much for me. Right now, he might be the one in danger, and I can't have you complicating things especially since the last time you guys saw each other, you tried to kill him."

Stefan listened to every word she said, but it didn't change his mind. He still looked as determined as he was before to accompany Caroline whether she liked it or not.

Caroline looked over to Elena, pleadingly. She didn't even need to ask.

"Stefan, let her do this. Believe me, I don't trust him any more than you do but we have to trust Caroline. The circumstances have changed. All along we thought he was the bad guy, when in fact he was also a victim. We owe it to Caroline to fix this. If it makes you feel better, we can scope the area to make sure there isn't any imminent danger, but we will let her handle this on her own, okay? This is her decision and you have to respect it."

Stefan looked all the more frustrated and worried. The frown lines on his forehead increased and he scowled. He didn't like being bossed around, especially when he was just trying to do the right thing. Caroline couldn't stand the look on his face, and so she immediately wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for a hug. "Stefan, I love you for trying to protect me all the time. Really, I do. Please don't be mad at Elena. I just need to do this for myself and she understands that. I promise I'll be back safe and sound. You taught me everything I know and so you should believe that I'm strong enough. You always told me to trust my gut. This is me following your advice. Every nerve ending in my body yearns to be with him. I couldn't stay away even if I tried."

Stefan let go of her and forced a smile. "For you, I'll give him another chance and I'll let you handle this on your own terms. But just so you know, I won't be far away. You better call to check in or else I'm coming for you. And you know I will."

He grabbed her arm and squeezed, as if making sure she understood what he was saying. "If he ever hurts you or makes you cry again, I swear, I will have to break his neck."

Caroline nodded. She couldn't shake off her worry that she was wasting time discussing this. "Not if I break it first. I don't want to be rude guys, but I really have to go now."

Stefan stepped out of her way and Caroline rushed forward.

She almost made it to the door when Tyler suddenly materialized in front of her, blocking her way. She found herself immediately thrust into his arms, her head against his chest. "I'm not Stefan, and you can't force me not to come with you."

"Ty—" she began, carefully breaking away from his hold.

"Don't give me that Caroline. I can't stand you getting hurt again. No matter how much you think he's changed, it really doesn't make a difference to me. He's Klaus – and I've seen for myself what he is capable of. Remember when he tried to drain Elena of her blood? Or when he sired hybrids, do you remember that? How about when he forced Stefan to turn off his humanity, have you forgotten?"

His voice was shaking as he said these words and he had to take a deep breath before saying, "How about me Caroline, are you just going to leave me again?"

Caroline made the mistake of looking into his eyes. She could see the fiery anger, the desperate longing, but most of all the hurt. She knew that all of this was her fault. She had left him once without even saying a word to him and that was cruel. Caroline owed him an explanation, but all she could think about right now was Klaus.

She leaned her forehead against Tyler's, and had to choke back a sob before saying "You're hurting me now by trying to stop me. I'm sorry Ty."

Caroline didn't know what else to say. He was a part of her family, and she was overjoyed to see him alive and well, but her heart belonged to someone else. She didn't bother looking at Tyler in the eyes the second time. She already knew that she was breaking his heart with her words. She quickly ran past him and into the dark of the night.

Tears blurred her sight, but she continued to run. Tyler, it seems, had been glued to the spot where she left him and Caroline was now completely alone. But even though a part of her was afraid of what she might find at the cellar, she was more afraid of not seeing him at all.

She had to find him.


	24. The End Where We Begin

**Chapter 24: The End Where We Begin**

Caroline rushes into the Lockwood cellar thinking that Klaus might be in trouble, but as soon as she reaches the bottom of the stairs she finds Kol instead, standing in front of a closed coffin.

"Kol," she whispers warily.

He slowly turns to face her and smiles. "Caroline, I knew you would come."

She didn't know exactly why the youngest Mickaelson had said those words, but let them pass. She had bigger things to think about – specifically the man lying daggered in that coffin. She just had to ask, pointing at the coffin. "Is this?"

"The one and only."

Caroline fidgeted in place, wondering to herself why Kol hadn't removed the dagger yet. "Why is he still—"

Kol cut her off mid-sentence. "I didn't know if he was worth it."

Caroline bowed her head in response and mumbled to herself as if she had thought of something worse and wished to get rid of it – which she had. She thought that Kol might have hurt him – or even killed the Original hybrid.

It was like Kol could read her mind. "You thought I was going to kill him, right?" he asked point-blank.

She kept her mouth shut.

"Your silence is quite telling Miss Forbes, but if you must know, the answer is no. I wouldn't kill my brother. Even if he left me daggered for years, I don't have it in me to kill him. But leaving him here, tit-for-tat, well that's a completely different story."

Caroline knew better than to use force. The original could kill her in a heartbeat.

She decided to take another angle. "I know this may not mean much, but I'm genuinely sorry for what he did to you. He's changed Kol. I'm not saying he's all rainbows and butterflies – he'll never be that. But he saved my life, what, three times now? I need to save his. I need him."

Now it was Kol's turn to be stunned silent. He looked from Caroline to the coffin and back at Caroline as if trying to understand the situation. He always thought his brother was incapable of caring for anyone other than himself. But now he's returned – the Klaus he looked up to as a child has finally returned – at least in the eyes of Caroline. There must be hope for him after all.

"No one has ever said that about my brother. Well, not in this generation at least. It's…odd."

Caroline forced a smile. "Well your brothers not that easy to love, is he?"

The words came out of her mouth before she could stop herself. She quickly covered her lips with her palm, as if embarrassed by her admission, and her cheeks turned red. She had finally confessed to herself, and to Kol, the way she felt about the Original hybrid. There was no use hiding it anymore. It was actually more of a relief – like a weight finally being lifted off her shoulders.

Kol's eyes widened at her words, but then he decided better than to embarrass the woman further. "I owe you one for what happened in London. When I leave, let's just say we're even. Although I have to say that I am kind of jealous that such a pretty vampire like yourself has fallen for the mutt. My brother is pretty damn lucky."

It was then that Kol stepped out of the way, providing passage for Caroline to release Klaus. She immediately moved forward and opened up the coffin. Klaus had his eyes closed and his skin was cold and marbled. Goosebumps crept up her skin as she looked at his frail stature, and she had to remind herself that Klaus was just stunned and not completely gone.

"And Caroline, she's not completely gone you know – my mother. I can assure you she will be back – and with a vengeance. Even though she says that the reason she wants us all gone is to balance nature, I think it's more personal than that."

Caroline grabbed the dagger with her hand and immediately let go when it burned her skin. It didn't seem right, but she needed to do this in order to save Klaus. She looked up to Kol first and said, "We survived today, right? Let's revel in that before figuring out another plan to stop her."

With both hands she then grabbed hold of the dagger and pulled. It burned her hands and it felt like some sort of poison was seeping through her body.

She wasn't wrong. The dagger had been spelled.

"Oh no." she could hear from behind.

When Caroline removed the dagger completely, she fell to the ground. She started losing consciousness and she knew the poison was traveling fast. She screamed in pain and rolled herself back and forth on the ground trying to put out the fire. But it didn't help. She closed her eyes and tried to fight it off.

The next thing she heard was shuffling and punches thrown here and there. The smell of blood gave her the strength to open her eyes. She could only hope that Klaus was okay. She no longer had the strength to fight back if they were in any danger at this point.

She found Klaus holding Kol by the neck, up against the cellar walls. "What have you done, brother?" The Original hybrid looked as if he were caught in a daze. He was holding the dagger that she had grabbed earlier and directed it towards Kol's heart. The younger Mickaelson tried to defend himself, but the hybrid was noticeably stronger. He couldn't break out of Klaus hold, no matter how hard he tried.

Kol, as if sensing her, looked Caroline straight in the eye, both pain and a silent apology clear in his blue pools. He didn't know about the dagger.

"Niklaus" she tried to shout, but it came out barely a whisper.

He heard it, anyway. Klaus turned to face her viciously, a mix of pain and pure rage in his eyes. His expression turned to pure surprise, as if he didn't know she was there to begin with. He must have jumped directly towards his younger brother to miss seeing her on the ground.

Caroline didn't know exactly why, but she remembered the time when she told Klaus to drop Damon, and he was pissed at her for instructing him what to do. She wouldn't make the same mistake this time. Her sight was becoming really blurry, and she felt tears well up in her eyes, making matters even worse, but she managed to whisper, "Please don't."

It was not a command, but a plea.

She just needed to see him right? That was why she had come here. She had saved him and she knew he was going to be fine. That was all that mattered. His life meant more to her than her own at this point, and she knew that if he daggered his younger brother once again, it would eliminate the progress their relationship has made and once again give their mother another reason to come back and kill them all.

The old witch must have known that if her plan failed, Caroline would come for him, and that the easiest way for him to go back to being the abomination that he was is if the person he cared about was gone. That would derail not only Klaus, but her entire family – Tyler, Matt, Rebekah, Damon, Stefan, Bonnie, Jeremy and most especially – Elena. And when they messed up, she could prove that she was right all along.

She wouldn't have that.

Caroline didn't want to give her that reason, but she felt herself being pulled into the darkness. She had her eyes closed now, and as pain shot through every nerve in her body, it seemed no use to fight back.

As she desperately clung to reality, Caroline knew that she was lying to herself when she thought that all she wanted was to see him. No, she didn't just want to see Klaus, she wanted him to be with her too, to wrap his arms around her and cradle her. She wanted him.

This gave her the strength to fight back the darkness that was engulfing her.

When Klaus realized that Caroline was the crippled figure on the ground, for a second there, he was frozen. It was only when Kol managed to choke out the words, "Mother…poison" that he dropped his brother and headed to Caroline's side.

Instant panic flooded his body, and the anger that he had originally directed towards Kol had now turned into anger for himself. Kol looked just as panicked as he was. "I swear I didn't know it was poisoned. I took out Rebekah's dagger and nothing happened. It must not work on us Originals. Mother spelled it to poison vampires."

Klaus knew better than blame his brother. Hell, he picked up the dagger himself and nothing happened. He wouldn't have known that it was spelled either. If he felt panic earlier, now it was in overdrive. He knew he had seconds left before Caroline would be completely lost to him. He couldn't allow that to happen.

Caroline felt like she was on fire even though she couldn't see a thing. But as soon as a pair of arms wrapped around her – those all too familiar to her, she forgot all about the pain. She blinked her eyes open as best as she possibly could, and that was when she saw Klaus right beside her, holding her close. Kol was on the other side, panic-stricken.

She thought she heard the words, "Werewolf…venom…solution" from Kol, but couldn't quite make out what he was suggesting.

Caroline didn't need to. A few seconds later, she felt a pair of incisors bite into her neck, filling her with a different kind of poison. She arched backward, an excruciating scream coming out of her at the same time. She was surprised at her own voice. It was like a blast of energy had suddenly surged into her body – a different kind of pain altogether, but it was as if the new venom was overtaking the poison that had spread throughout her body.

"Niklaus" she screamed, searching for him in the darkness, although her arms remained wrapped around her body. She could feel the tears falling from her eyes.

"Hush love, let me take care of you." He responded. His voice did wonders as it made her forget once more about the pain that her body was being subjected to.

Klaus bit into his wrist and lifted it up to her mouth. Her fangs responded almost instantly. The smell of blood was too inviting to avoid. Her arm shot up and she held his open wrist tightly as she clamped onto the cut with her fangs and sucked. As more and more of his blood passed through her system, the fires went out. The pain subsided, and the darkness slowly disappeared. She no longer felt trapped and was beginning to see the light.

When she finally had the strength, Caroline opened her eyes and looked up to him. Although he had been drained of so much, he forced a smile. He was pale and shaking, but when she let go of him, he immediately cradled her body to his.

"Thank you brother. Mother nature is good to us, even though our mother seems to think otherwise. You saved her life. When did you get so intelligent?"

Caroline could hear Kol's laughter as he replied. "I owed her one, and consider that debt repaid to both of you. And about my intelligence, why do you doubt me? You're not the only one with a sensible head on his shoulders. You'd be surprised what else I'm capable of"

"Well that I don't doubt. You've always been a man of surprises."

Caroline lifted her hand and rubbed Klaus' back, which brought his attention back to her. He quickly let her go so that he could look into her eyes. Caroline was humbled to see blue pools of genuine concern and happiness mirrored in her own.

She bit her lip to keep herself from crying all over again. She had shed enough tears tonight already. "You saved me"

He lifted his hand to cradle her face. He leaned forward, as if he was about to kiss her, but when their lips were mere inches away, he pulled back. Without a word, he helped Caroline to her feet. He searched for Kol but the youngest Original had apparently left the cellar to give them a moment of privacy.

They both could feel the tension and the intense heat from their bodies filling the room. This was a different kind of fire. Caroline lifted her arms, and was about to wrap them around Klaus' neck, but he caught them in his hands and squeezed. He held them in front of his chest as he took a few steps forward to close the gap between them. When he finally lifted his gaze and looked Caroline in the eye, gone was the concern in his expression. What was left was deep resentment and pain. It tore at her heart but left her confused at the same time. They have saved each other, like they always have. Why was he doing this now?

"You need to go Caroline. You're all better now, and it's best that you leave. You shouldn't be here with me right now…or ever."

Caroline wouldn't have any of it. As much as he tried to hide it, Caroline could hear the strain in his voice. The fact that he was shaking as he said these words didn't make it sound as commanding as he thought it would.

She leaned her forehead against his and in the silence of the room; she could hear the thumping in his chest, which mimicked hers. "Do you want me to leave Niklaus?"

Klaus liked her bold gesture, but did his best not to show it. He needed to make her leave. That was the right thing to do. It took everything in him to drop his hold and walk past her. If she wasn't going to leave the cellar, he had to be the one to walk out of there and walk out of her life.

She materialized in front of him and blocked his way.

"Is that what you do to the person who has saved your life? Why? And please don't say it's because it's the right thing to do because I'm tired of hearing that. I'm tired of these rules when you've always been one to break them."

Klaus looked at her with a serious expression. "It's the truth, Caroline."

It was no longer love or sweetheart; it was Caroline. She wouldn't give up without a fight. "So things got a little crazy and we had some trust issues. Everyone does. We messed up but let me explain. We managed to get rid of your mother today. Everyone escaped without a scratch."

Klaus raised his eyebrows as he stated "I almost killed you – twice today, first when you came into the room unannounced and Rebekah had told me about your plan and second, when you pulled the dagger from my chest. And you call that a little crazy? My family – look at us—my mother can't even stand me. I daggered my siblings for God knows how long. It's dysfunctional. You're kidding yourself if you think that this is for you – that this is going to be perfect when it's far from it."

He turned away from her as soon as he was finished.

So that's what Klaus was worried about. He always said he would protect Caroline, even from himself if it had to come to that. He was right that their family was a little crazy. His mother tried to kill him again – but Caroline remembered earlier today how amazed she was at Tyler's resistance. She knew that in spite of all the evil Klaus had done over the centuries, there was still hope for him. There might be hope for her as well. And if not, then they could fight together, couldn't they?

Caroline took a step towards him. She didn't know how he would react, but she boldly lifted her hand and touched his arm. He took in a deep breath, as if trying to regain his composure.

"Caroline, don't."

She instantly removed her hand and that was when he finally turned to face her. "Stop telling me what to do or what to feel, Klaus. And while you're at it, can you please stop telling yourself that this is nothing?"

Before he could say anything, she catches him off guard and kisses him on the lips – hard.

"Does that feel like nothing to you?"

Klaus puts his fingers to his lips and still refuses to look her in the eye.

"Answer me." she demands forcefully, her hands on her hips.

He does the most unexpected thing. Two can play at that game. He grabs her, wrapping both his arms around her waist, crushing her to him. He then kisses her on the lips and they get lost in a passionate haze. Klaus laces his tongue with hers and she finds herself wrapping her arms around his neck, refusing to let go as well. She pressed her body up to his, searching for more of his warmth, his light – his everything.

He was thoroughly aroused when he broke away first. "Sweetheart." He whispered, his gaze full of passion. It came out as more of a command than adoration.

So we're back to that. Caroline was frustrated with this—with him. She didn't want what they had to end when they've only just begun. She could tell that he wanted her just as much as she did. Did she have to lay everything on the line with Klaus, knowing everything that they've been through?

There was no use arguing anymore. Caroline knew what she had to do. She untangled her arms around his neck and took a few steps backward, putting some space between them.

"You want honesty, I'll give you honesty. I love you. Is that honest enough for you? I've spent the last months trying to figure out what was missing in my life and why I was so confused. All I needed to do was listen to my heart – and I found you. Everything then snapped back into place, believe it or not. Mystic Falls is my home. Stefan, Elena, Bonnie, Matt, Damon and even Tyler – they are my family. I shouldn't have left them, but if I didn't, I wouldn't have found you – and I wouldn't have found myself either. Ever since the first time you saved my life, I should have known that I cared about you. I do care about you. Even if you make me so angry and even if we will try to always one-up each other all the time – I'm going to say it and I mean it – I have fallen in love with you Niklaus."

Klaus eyes had grown as wide as saucers. He was surprised at her kind words and yet at the same time, humbled. He didn't deserve any of it. Klaus didn't know what to say next.

Caroline continued, tears springing in her eyes. "I tried not to. Believe me – being in love with you is not easy. But I can't tell myself what to feel or who to care about. I even dreamed about you. I told you this before. Jenna told me in a dream that I needed to save you, and I did. But you have to know that I think Jenna was wrong. You saved me. As much as I hated you, I wanted you. I wanted to be that person you said you would take around the world. But of course you had to turn into the rude ass alpha—"

Klaus kissed her before she could say another word. As soon as he broke off, he finally had a smile on his face. "Miss Mystic Falls, has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?"

Caroline folded her arms across her chest and pouted. She paused for a second when he didn't continue and felt a tad bit worried, but then he pulled out a piece of paper from his back pocket. As soon as he opened it up and showed it to her, Caroline couldn't stop her tears from falling any longer. It was the lion sketch that she had made. He hadn't destroyed it after all.

"Caroline, love, I've…never been good with words, or with people. I tried my best to stay away from you thinking that it was what you deserved. I even left Mystic Falls. I didn't realize how much you meant to me then, and I debated over what I was feeling constantly while we were in Europe together. It was when Rebekah told me about your plan and told me that you needed to be killed that I finally realized I couldn't bring myself to get it done. You came into the room that night and when I saw the fire in your eyes again, I was lost."

Caroline unfolded her hands and Klaus took a step forward, cradling her face. "My entire life I've only lived by one rule – to trust no one. I told Elijah that love is a vampires' greatest weakness, and that we are not weak. We do not fear and we do not care. That's just who we are. But then I met you and everything completely changed for me. I was mad at you for that, in the beginning. You have to understand that after centuries, you were the first one to make me doubt myself. But then it was because I cared for you that I thought about honesty and finally giving up my hybrid army. I wanted to reunite with my family the right way. Day in day out in Europe I just wanted to be by your side, I even stared at you as you slept, afraid that you would leave – but when you didn't, it was the damnedest thing."

He wiped away the tears that were streaming down her face and then he let go, his hands now in fists at sides. "How could I protect you from myself, huh? Do you know how hard that is when you want someone so bad? My interests are conflicting. I'm the most powerful creature in this town and yet I couldn't figure out a way out of this. I'm evil and I should be protecting you from this evil, but I can't seem to walk away. What would you do about that? You should have killed me when you had the chance."

"Stop." Caroline declared, fire burning in her eyes.

"Stop what, Caroline?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and when he didn't pull away, she said "Talking." Caroline kissed him and as she pressed her body up against him, he couldn't stop himself. He responded to her just as passionately. Caught in a haze, Caroline let go of him and pushed him against the cellar walls. The lantern suddenly went out as he knocked it over and they were plunged into darkness.

But that didn't stop either of them. Klaus couldn't get enough of her, and she gladly welcomed his body when it came at her in a rush. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off of the ground. She put her legs around his body, cradling him, refusing to let go again. Then her hands slipped under his shirt and managed to rip it off of him. He was nuzzling her neck then, kissing her and asking her permission. When she gave him more access, he quickly bit her neck.

The venom was more of a liquid fire than a poison. It made Caroline even more aroused than she was to begin with – if that was even possible. They were both completely lost in each other's heat. As soon as he lifted his head and he looked into her eyes, Caroline could only imagine seeing those golden wolf-like pools turn blue. She knew at that moment she would never get tired of him.

As soon as Klaus put her down, she didn't know where she found the strength – her whole body was shaking, but she stood up. He bit his wrist and he held it out to her and using touch alone, she found it and she sucked. The whole time he stared at her with awe and pure desire, even though she wouldn't know it. Klaus could picture the look she had in response to his gesture. He saw in her eyes a fire that burned for them both, and the realization struck him clear and hard.

He loved her.

When Caroline was finally sated, she lifted her head and retracted her fangs. She would always be beautiful to him, no matter what form she took. He had to step away from her, and he could tell that she was confused by his actions.

He wouldn't leave her hanging for long. They've had enough of that tonight alone.

"Klaus, what are you doing?" she asked softly.

He folded his arms against his bare chest before saying "Love, I see you so clearly now"

"It's pitch black, Klaus. Don't tell me your hybrid nature lets you see in the dark. What do you mean?"

It took Klaus a minute to find the lantern in the dark, but it was a good thing that there was a matchbox lying next to it. He found his way back to Caroline, and lit it right in front of her. It illuminated the cellar once again and Klaus said, "As cliché as this may sound, no matter how dark my life used to be, I've finally found the light. You are my beacon."

He put the lantern on the ground and as soon as they were eye-to-eye again, he proclaimed, "I love you too."

Now it was Caroline's turn to be shocked. Klaus thought that he would resent himself for his admission or be embarrassed, but that wasn't the case at all. In fact, just as Caroline felt earlier, he was relieved when he finally put it out there. He playfully watched the shocked expression cover Caroline's face, and couldn't stop himself from smiling.

"Yes, Miss Mystic Falls, I think… no wait, I know I love you too."

Klaus just had to say it again. Caroline couldn't stop the tears falling from her eyes. She could tell that he was worried, even though he had a smile on his face, and so she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close.

She whispered into his ear "We'll figure it out. Whatever it is you're worried about, we'll deal with it. Nothing can stand in our way."

He pulled away from her so that he could look into her eyes. He found comfort in them. But he must have been too distracted to only notice now that someone else was standing behind him. Caroline didn't notice either, even though the person was right in front of her.

Klaus instinctively took a step sideways and covered Caroline with his body, shielding her. He growled at the figure in front of him.

Caroline couldn't see who it was, but she didn't want a fight if it could be prevented. She grabbed Klaus arm and stood so that they were side-by-side and it was only then that she had a clear view of the person who had interrupted them.

It was Tyler. He looked from Klaus to Caroline before saying, "I didn't come here to kill him…although, God knows I've thought of a thousand ways to get it done."

The minute these words escaped his lips, Klaus wanted to launch himself forward and show the young hybrid some manners, but when Caroline squeezed his arm once again, he forced himself to remain calm.

"How much did you hear, Ty?"

He shook his head. "Enough. I came to make sure you're okay. Stefan would have done it, but I volunteered instead. He didn't have a choice."

Caroline let go of Klaus' hand and before the Original could think of stopping her, she walked forward so that she and Tyler were face-to-face. She pulled him in for a hug, although the latter looked elsewhere and didn't bother hugging her back. Caroline could tell that he was angry with her, disappointed and heartbroken. She was to blame.

"I'm really sorry Tyler. I should have told you the truth about how confused I was. You didn't deserve any of this. Please don't get mad at him. This was entirely my fault. If there's anyone you want to throw punches at, it has to be me."

Klaus growled from behind.

Tyler slowly pushed her backward. "I'm not going to say that I forgive you, because I don't. I don't want to lie to you. I hope someday I can find the strength within me to accept all of this, and have you back in my life. You were the friend who was there for me when I first turned and helped me through the hybrid transition. I'll always appreciate that even if you are tearing me from the inside out right now – breaking my heart. "

She bowed her head because she didn't want Tyler to see the tears forming in her eyes. Gone were the days that she thought she would never have anyone. Now she was breaking an innocent's heart.

But Tyler wouldn't have that. He lifted her chin up and looked into her eyes.

"Don't do this Caroline. It's hard enough already. If anyone should have tears in their eyes, it should be me, right? I'm going to leave now. I'll tell Stefan you're okay. And I guess, well… this is goodbye. It's my turn to find myself. You have to understand that."

Caroline nodded. She hated losing him, but she knew better than to force him to stay. She couldn't be selfish with him – not anymore. Tyler kissed the top of her head and once again heard Klaus growl from behind.

It was the final push he needed to let Caroline go. He would never trust the Original hybrid, but he had to trust Caroline. This was her decision and if this was going to make her happy, he wouldn't stop her. Besides, he wouldn't be too far, no, he would still stick around for a few months and watch her, without her knowing it. It's not that easy to let go of someone you care so much about.

"If he breaks your heart, I do have the permission to kill him right?"

She could see how much Tyler was hurting but this was for the best. He was destined to be with someone else and Caroline knew he deserved to be loved just as much as he believed he loved her.

"Of course"

Caroline smiled as he cradled her face. She closed her eyes, reveling in the moment, and then she felt nothing at all. He had disappeared.

"One second more and I would have punched him in the face." Klaus said, obviously jealous.

Caroline couldn't contain herself. She was crying and laughing at the same time. She used the back of her hands to wipe away her tears. She was overjoyed to have finally found some peace, but at the same time, she felt bad about Tyler.

It didn't take long to make her forget though, and to remind her of what weighed in more in her heart. Klaus took her hand into his and pulled her close.

"That's what you call jealousy. Hmmm I think I like your possessiveness."

Klaus cradled her body into his, warming her from head-to-toe. She was instantly aroused. It was as if he wanted to mark her, make her his own and make sure everyone knew it – even though they were the only two people in the room.

"What else?" he roared, kissing her ear and moving to worship her neck.

Before she could get lost in him, she lifted her hand and pushed him backward. She then traced a line down his cheek, to his neck, down his chest and finally to his heart. She could feel it pounding against its cavity.

"This, I like this. I love you."

He growled low in his throat and proceeded with what he craved to do earlier. He never thought that love would feel this way. It was more than just wanting the other person in bed; it was about wanting everything about the person – especially her heart. Klaus wanted Caroline to look at him everyday with the same look she had when she said she loved him. He adored the fire in her eyes, her guts to defy him, her concern about saving his life.

She felt the same way about him. It wasn't a question, they both had a long road ahead of them – the whole Tyler thing, making peace with Stefan, Elena, Damon, Matt, Jeremy and Bonnie, trying to reconnect the right way with the rest of the Mickaelson siblings, and of course, there's the danger of his mother coming back.

But she couldn't care less. She was not confused anymore. This is exactly where she wanted to be, and she wouldn't let him go.

That's the thing. The right one isn't perfect. In fact, he can be immensely flawed. He isn't always the first person you picture in your head, or the prince charming you read about in books. He isn't always the hero. He doesn't always have the looks to kill or the clean record. In fact, Mr. Right can make you so angry you will even ask yourself why you fell for him in the first pace. But that's just the thing. You didn't know what hit you, but you also couldn't find a reason to let him go. The right one will try to convince you in every way imaginable why you shouldn't be with him, but he won't manage to change your mind. That's because you know him so well you've accepted every part of him, even the parts that scare you. You won't change him, no—You will make him want to change himself, to inspire him to be a better person. It will be his choice and not yours, and it will humble you. The two of you will fight and the right one will make you crazy, but he can also make you crazy-in-love and will treat you like royalty, as you deserve to be. He will make you cry and laugh, even both at the same time.

Klaus Mickaelson took a second to look at the woman standing before him and it suddenly dawned upon him that no matter how far he tried to run away now, he will always find his way back to her—to Caroline Forbes, with those golden locks, soft skin, and the eyes that set him on fire and look beyond all his insecurities.

He never stood a chance. Caroline probably realized it the exact same moment he did—that he, without a single doubt in his mind, had finally let the right one in.

[THE END]

* * *

_I just wanted to thank everyone again for reading Right One In and leaving sweet comments. I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I had fun writing it. I'm open to all of your comments, so please do let me know what you think (good or bad)! At the end of the day, I will always love and continue to be inspired by Klaus Mickaelson and Caroline Forbes, one of the most beautiful and tragic of love affairs._

_Until next time,_

_- M (tumblr: vampirehybridloveaffairs) OTPS: Klaroline, Stelena_


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